This is Wrong
by peetasfakeleg
Summary: Katniss wakes up, unsure of what happened at the end of the games. Peeta is dead, but she wasn't the only victor. Now Snow wants revenge, and Katniss and Cato are pulled into a world completely different from their own. Chapter 24 is up! This is only part 1 of hopefully a long series! Part 2 is now up and is called The Good Kind! Enjoy and review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Hazy

I close my eyes and open them once more to make sure I'm still really awake. Today is the first day the doctors have let me stay conscious for longer than a few minutes, and so far I haven't been able to put a dent in clearing the confusion I've had for the past few weeks. I have had no dreams, but I still remember what happened and every time they wake me up, even for just those few minutes at a time, it's the first thing my mind goes to.

_Peeta is dead. _

I'm still not exactly sure what happened in those last few seconds in the arena. All I know is that I made it out and Peeta didn't. I remember yelling at Cato to put him down as he cut off Peeta's air, Peeta's lifeless body slumping to the ground and then everything after that is a blur. I try to fight with my mind to let me into the rest of my memories of that night, but it just makes me feel sick to my stomach and I really don't want the doctors to put me back under.

Instead, I try to take in my surroundings. I'm in a hospital, there's no doubt about it, although it does not look like it would be a hospital at the Capitol. It's just too plain for the Capitol. Sterile equipment in cabinets and on shelves around me. A horribly uncomfortable bed. The smell of disinfectant in the air. And of course they put me in a stupid hospital gown, and a pink one at that. I hate feeling exposed, and hospital gowns are the definition of exposed. I should be completely okay with being exposed, after all the preparations before the games and having every eye in the country on me most of the time during the games, but I'm just not. I try to shake my lack of comfort as I take in the rest of my surroundings, which seem vaguely familiar. I look at the monitors beeping by my head. I notice there aren't quite as many machines in here as I've seen in the past few weeks I've been here. At least, I think it's been weeks. I'm really not sure how long it's been, what with them waking me up for a few minutes at a time. I can feel that my leg hair has grown back pretty well, so it has to have been at least a couple weeks.

As I'm feeling up my legs and trying to guess how long I've been here, a nurse walks in. My being conscious startles her, and she tries to put on a fake smile.

"Katniss, I'm glad to see you're finally awake. We've had to keep you out for quite a while to help you heal completely. I'm actually quite surprised they decided to wake you up." She says as she walks over to me to check my monitors and make sure I'm still plugged into everything. "You had a few episodes, and we couldn't risk you pulling out any more of your IVs. You're going to keep them in this time, right?"

I look down at my arms and notice how bruised they are. My "episodes" must have slipped my memory, but I can see the marks where needles used to be. I look up at her and see she's looking back at me warily and I nod, which makes her grin a little.

"Good. I hate how we keep having to knock you out, even if it's for your own good. There's just something about seeing unconscious bodies, almost lifeless… Oh! Excuse my manners! How are you feeling? Headaches and soreness are to be expected, but you should otherwise feel perfectly healthy. You're basically all healed up!"

I look at her for a second, deciding whether or not I should answer her. "How long have I been here?" I say, ignoring her question.

"Oh, let's see…" she says as she picks up my chart, "it's been just shy of two months." She glances up just in time to see the panicked look on my face before I can hide it from her. "You've been under great care, Katniss. We just had to make sure you sat still enough to heal properly. And don't worry, your mother and your sister have been contacted. I told them to let your _cousin_ know as well. They have not been permitted to visit, but you'll be released soon enough." I look at her, confused, but she doesn't seem to notice. She squints at my chart before writing a few things and then setting it back on its hook at the end of my bed.

"When can I go home?" She looks at me, with pity in her eyes.

"I'll have to talk to the doctor about that, but I know there are a few things you need to hear before you go. You should expect to go home shortly, though, as long as things go as planned. I'll go get the doctor now so he can explain it to you." She says and then leaves without a glance back. I'm left with my thoughts for less than a minute, when a small man in a white lab coat comes in and shuts the door quietly behind him.

"Miss Everdeen? Good to see you're alert. Sorry to have to put you to sleep so often. I'm sure it has messed with your memory quite a bit, jumbled a few things around. But I'm here to help you clear everything up, alright?" He looks at me through thick glasses and I know I'm not in the Capitol. Glasses are not fashionable. Even doctors would have gotten the laser surgery and probably gotten their eye color changed to something strange, like bright orange. He must have caught me staring at him, because he has not begun speaking again. I look away embarrassed and he clears his throat, starting again. "You have been here for fifty-seven days as of today. Before you were here, you were in the hospital under the training center for two days. You were a victor of the 74th Hunger Games, as was one of your opponents, Cato…"

He keeps talking, but I have stopped listening. How is that possible? How is that both Cato and I have made it out of the Hunger Games alive? And what happened to Peeta? What the hell happened in those last hazy seconds of my memory? I saw Peeta die. I know that for a fact. But what happened after that? Cato and I were the last alive, that I know. But why didn't we try to kill each other? How did I become a victor, alongside Cato? I remembered the announcement stating there could be two victors from the same district, but Cato is from District 2 and I'm from District 12. Did I miss something in that announcement? No, I know I heard right. I remember calling out Peeta's name as soon as I heard it. I remember running in search of him; knowing all along how stupid it was to search for him in the open, knowing he was injured and would probably lessen my chances of winning considerably. And still I searched for him. I remember finding him, I remember caring for his wound, staying in that cave and almost starving because I was afraid to leave him to hunt. I remember our talks, I remember our kisses, even though I'm still not sure if I kissed him because I loved him or because it was what Haymitch wanted me to do. I remember how I felt when I thought he would die. How I risked my life to get his medicine and how he in turn nurtured me when I had that gash from Clove's knife. I remember thinking we actually had a chance in winning the games, how we had a real chance at a future. Remembering this makes my heart ache for Peeta. For the boy who loved me. The boy with the bread. I cannot stop the tears from escaping my eyes and soon, they're running down my cheeks. Then I remember the doctor is still in the room and I look away, wiping my face before turning around to face him. He has stopped speaking. I don't know when he stopped; just that he is no longer talking.

He hands me a tissue. "It's alright. I know it's a lot to take in. But it's better for you to hear everything at once. As I was saying—"

"How did Cato and I both become victors?"

"Oh, right. I should have known that would be what you were stuck on. I guess I should have explained better. After Cato broke Peeta's neck-" I wince and he notices, "-I mean, after Peeta died, Cato just sat down. It may have been from exhaustion; the two of you sustained life threatening injuries, and neither of you moved. But I believe you were in shock; the look on your face was blank. And Cato may have gone into shock as well, because he looked right at you and then put his head between his knees. I remember watching it on television. The whole country went silent, just waiting. It was as if the two of you had given up. And since you two were the only two surviving tributes and you were both on the verge of dying, Seneca had to end it before you both bled to death and we were left without a victor. They tried to patch you up as best as they could at the Capitol, but the two of you needed a lot of intense surgeries that I so happen to specialize in. Are you following so far?"

"You mean to tell me Cato is here? In this same building? With me? He came here with me?" I begin to feel anger rise into my face and I cannot help but clench my fists and teeth. Cato killed Peeta. If it weren't for him, Peeta would be alive and here with me. Peeta wouldn't be dead. Gone, forever. Cato had no right to take his place. He had no right to breathe air if it meant Peeta would breathe no more. Cato was a monster. He enjoyed killing people. Peeta didn't want to hurt a soul. He never should have been in the games. He never should have died. He should have been back in District 12, decorating beautiful cakes for Prim to admire as she passed his father's bakery every day. I fight back tears, but I'm so angry and upset that they just come pouring out again. What have they done to me? I'm never this emotional.

"Oh dear. I've seem to upset you again. Would you like me to sedate you? We can always try this conversation another day when you're feeling more up to it." He looks at me, I can the concern in his eyes as he studies my face, I can see that he cares that he's upset me but it just angers me more that he wants to knock me out again.

"No!" I try to calm myself down. "Do not sedate me again! Please. I don't need it. I can handle this. Just continue." I stop crying. I have to. If he sedates me again, I'll just have to go through this entire conversation with him another time. I wonder how many times he's told me this same exact thing and if I reacted the same way, basically begging him to sedate me once again. I know I'm acting like a crazy person, but I can't seem to control my emotions. I have to fight with myself to stop crying as I nod at him, reassuring him that I'm stable enough for him to speak to. I clear my throat. "You were saying?"

He peers at me over his glasses, sighs, and begins again. "As I was saying, the two of you were brought here after the games. Cato has been awake for about two weeks now, but we haven't been able to release him yet. His mental state is not, for lack of other words, desirable. I have been trying extensive therapy with him, but he refuses to talk to me or any of the nurses. I was actually hoping maybe you could speak with him, if you're feeling up to it. Maybe a familiar face would snap him back to reality." That did it.

"Are you serious? You want ME to go talk to the guy who killed Peeta? Who killed the one boy I might actually have loved? The one person who actually loved me? You must be off your rocker! If you put me in a room with that monster, I will kill him!" And before I could get another word out, everything gets blurry and then nothing.

I blink my eyes a few times, adjusting to the brightness of the lights in my small room. I know where I am. I remember the conversations I had with both the nurse and the doctor. They must have given me a less potent version of the sedative they were using for the past few weeks. The sedatives that let me sleep peacefully and dreamless. The sedatives that have helped me forget that Peeta is dead. And that his killer is alive and well, in the same hospital as me. That we were both named victors. I can feel my anger rising, and I bite my cheek, trying to distract myself. I cannot freak out again. I cannot have them keep putting me out or I'll never get to go home and see Prim and my mother and Gale. Home. Where Peeta will never be again.

Damn! It's so hard for me not to focus on him. But I have to try. I have to focus on Prim. I really hope my mother has kept it together for her. Prim won't last if our mother checks out on her again. I'm sure now that Peeta is dead, his father will be too busy to check up on Prim and make sure she's okay. Gale will still be there for her, but will he be enough? He barely has enough to support his family, much less mine. But still, I know he will do everything in his power to make sure Prim has enough to eat. I need to hurry up and get better so I can go take the burden off his shoulders. So it's time for me to focus.

I look at my surroundings. I'm in the same room I was in before and I slowly realize I am no longer hooked up to any machines. I must be well enough to not be monitored 24/7 anymore. I wonder if they're still keeping an eye on me. I test by swinging one leg off the bed, along with the other. I listen, but don't hear anything, so I inch myself all the way off the bed until I can feel my feet touch the cold, clean floor. I take quiet steps, like I would in the woods hunting with Gale. Just as I'm about to touch the door handle, I can see it jiggle a little and I sprint back into my bed and try to cover myself up before the door opens. The same doctor from before steps in and shuts the door behind him.

He smiles kindly at me before taking a seat on a stool by my bed. "You look like a deer in the line of fire. It is okay for you to be up and around, Katniss. Otherwise, we'd still have you tied up to all those machines. You can stand up and walk around in here if you'd like while we have a little chat. We can even go for a little walk, get some fresh air."

I shake my head. As appealing as fresh air sounds right now, I don't think I want to be around others while we finish our conversation from before. "I'm fine here."

He shrugs. "Suit yourself. How are you feeling? Think you could handle a quick conversation with me? Lately, I think I've caused more stress for you than the entire games." He chuckles to himself a little before continuing, only glancing at me to see me nod. "Our last conversation ended with me asking you if you would be of help to Cato. And before you get upset, just hear me out. Cato has been through the exact same thing you have. He had to kill people; he had to watch his fellow tribute get killed. I know he went into the game as somewhat of a killing machine, but the games have changed him. I think if you could just give him a chance—" he pauses to look into my eyes before I can look away and then continues, "you may be his only hope for recovery, Katniss. We can't bring in his family, and you're the only other familiar face he would know in this entire facility. We tried his mentors, but I think he may blame them to some extent. But you went what he went through; you saw what he saw." He stops to check my expression, surely with a needle full of sedatives in arms reach. But I don't speak. I barely breathe for fear of exploding again. "What do you think, Katniss? I can't force you to speak with him; I can only hope you'll understand how he feels." It feels like hours before he sighs and gets up. As he's walking towards the door, he turns around. "I expected more from you. I thought a girl who would volunteer to take her sister's place in a district where the hunger games are a nightmarish thing would want to help out a fellow tribute who is having a hard time coping." And right before he shuts the door, I jump up.

"Wait!" I shout. He pops his head in. "I'll do it. I'll speak to Cato. On one condition: I want to see Haymitch."

He smiles. "See? I knew you had it in you. This isn't some plot to be in a room with him so you can kill him, is it?" He says it with a smile, but I consider it for a second, making sure I leave my expression blank so he doesn't see. "I'll arrange for Haymitch to come visit you during your lunch and then after that I'll have someone escort you to Cato's room, if that's alright with you." And as he says that, he leaves me alone with my thoughts. What the heck am I thinking? Why should I help the guy who killed Peeta right in front of me? The guy who ignored my pleas to let Peeta go; the guy who snapped Peeta's neck; who took his spot in being a victor with me. I shake my head. I know I had to agree to speak to him if I ever want to see Prim and Gale and District 12 ever again. I have no idea how I'll be able to control myself, but I'll have to. I have to be strong for Prim. She needs me. I need her, maybe more than she needs me. And the way to get home is to talk to Cato. Hopefully when he sees me, he'll go into a frantic stage and try to attack me, and they'll let me go home at once. It's a large possibility that it could happen like that. I am the reason Clove died. If Thresh had never heard her taunting me over Rue's death, she never would have gotten her head smashed in by him. He probably would have let her finish me off first before he attacked her. And by then, Cato would have been close enough to save her. Then she could be here with him, instead of me.

What am I thinking? Clove and Cato are monsters! They don't deserve to be alive while innocent people like Rue and Peeta are dead. But then again, who am I to decide who deserves to live and die? I killed Glimmer and Marvel. I didn't even second guess myself when I killed them, either. So I guess that makes me a monster too.

Wait. This hospital must be doing something to my head. It makes sense, with all this crying I've been doing. Why else would I try to identify myself with Peeta's killer? Why am I sympathizing with him? I should be planning his death. But then again, he was fighting for his life and so was I. Death is just a part of the games and I can't really hold it against him for killing someone he didn't know. We all did it. But he volunteered to do it. I did too, but that was only to save Prim. He did it for the sport. It was a true game for him.

Just then, the door opens and the food cart comes in. I sigh, thankful for something to interrupt my thoughts. It's no use arguing with myself. So instead, I focus on the food in front of me. As I'm biting into a stale piece of bread and trying to remember what Peeta said about the different types of bread from each district, the door opens again. I expect it to be the doctor or the nurse checking up on me, but as soon as the smell of booze hits me, I know who it is. Before I can contain myself, I jump off my bed, spilling all of my food all over the floor, and throw my arms around Haymitch. I know I took him by surprise; we aren't the type to hug. He gasps a little before he pats my back awkwardly. I pull away, embarrassed. But I know he loved Peeta too, and I know he has to feel the same way I do about Cato. If anyone can get me through this, it's Haymitch. After all, he helped me win the Hunger Games and that in itself is a huge plus.

"Looks like you ruined your lunch. Let's take a walk, Sweetheart." He grabs my arm and pulls me out the door before I have a chance to protest.

I try my best to keep the back of my gown closed while keeping up with his quick pace, and Haymitch notices my struggle. He hands me his coat. "That should cover you up." And then he's dragging me through hallway after hallway until I finally see natural light shining through a door. We push through it and the fresh air hits me hard. I hadn't realized just how stuffy my room was until now. I try to stop and breathe in more of the fresh air, but Haymitch grabs my arm and drags me out into the sunlight. He doesn't stop there. We continue until we're at the edge of the courtyard, near what looks to be the beginning of woods. By time we stop, I am out of breath. The games probably had me in the best shape of my life, but laying in a hospital bed for two months deteriorated most of my muscle and stamina.

I glance up at Haymitch and am surprised to see that he doesn't seem at all winded by our walk. He does, however, have a strange look on his face. It looks like he's about to yell at me.

He takes me by my shoulders and I get a whiff of stale alcohol. I prepare for him to yell at me, but instead he whispers. "Sweetheart, you're in deep trouble."

I look at him, confused, waiting for him to go on but he doesn't seem like he wants to continue. He looks around before moving closer to me.

"Snow thinks you and Cato planned on giving up together to show him up. There's talk of rebellion in some districts, like your friend Rue's district. Snow is losing his grip on the districts and he's blaming you for it. Right after the games, Enobaria and Brutus found me and we decided to try the whole star struck lovers angle."

I can tell my face is turning red with anger. Of course he would do this to me again! It's like Haymitch is trying to be my own personal cupid or something! I clench my fists, getting ready to attack him. Then he chuckles a little and continues.

"Oh, Sweetheart. Calm down. I know what you're thinking. But think about it. They were willing to let you and Peeta win together because you were in love. If they thought that love was forbidden, just think of how they'll view this love. You and Cato met during training. Although you belonged to another, you still fell for him. The two of you tried to push that aside while in the arena and although you loved Cato, you knew you could actually be with Peeta. Then when the two of them are fighting to the death, you decide you need both of them. The crowd ate it up when we talked about it. They blamed it on all those teenage hormones or something."

Haymitch is about to continue with his explanation when I hit him square in the jaw. Enough is enough. He has made me look weak more than once, and now he's making me look like an indecisive whore! Before I can punch him again, he grabs my arms and holds them down at my side. I'm in awe that he is so strong. I expected him to be completely out of shape due to his almost constant state of drunkenness. But he has no issue holding my arms down, no matter how much I struggle.

"Listen. You cannot fight with me on this one. You can't let Snow know that this is not real. He wants to use you and Cato as examples and kill you and everyone you love."

"What am I supposed to do?" He's going to kill my family! I can't let him touch Prim. Or Gale. Or my mother. Or Madge. But why? It's not like I meant to be a big fat baby and chicken out on killing Cato, or whatever happened in those last few seconds that I still cannot remember. I stop resisting his hold and he slowly loosens up his grip. "He can't do that, can he?"

"Believe me, Sweetheart. He's done it before and he'll do it again without a second thought. You humiliated him in front of the entire country." The look in his eyes says he knows from firsthand experience, but I can't bring myself to ask him about it. I'm too worried about what will happen to the people I love because of something I didn't even do.

"But how? I didn't even do anything. I was weak. I must have blacked out or something."

"That isn't what it looked like to the audience. You and Cato sat down and stared at each other. It was as if you two had a secret plan to be the last two left so you could give up together."

"That's not how it was! I didn't speak to Cato once during training. And the only direct speaking I actually did towards him was when he was trying to climb a tree to kill me. The whole country saw all of this, so I don't know how you plan on convincing them that we're secret lovers."

Haymitch smiles a little. "Don't worry about that part. Brutus, Enobaria and I took care of it while you two were sleeping the weeks away. The whole country is waiting for the two of you to be back together so they can learn about your secret love affair. Which brings me to my second point. You have to talk to Cato about this. His mentors haven't had a chance to take him out here and speak with him, and the inside of the hospital is too closely monitored. I know he killed Peeta, but he's at risk of losing everything too. So you need to try your hardest to get him to cooperate with this plan. I'm sure he won't need much convincing, once you tell him how much trouble the two of you are in. Are you ready to see him?"

He looks me in the eyes and I know he's right. As much as I despise Cato, I can't let that put my family, or his, in danger. I nod and he puts his arm around my shoulder, walking slowly with me as we make our way into the building. After walking through hallway after hallway, we're back at my room.

Haymitch hugs me tight, and whispers in my ear quietly. "I know you can do this, Girl on Fire. Just stay strong and be careful. Everyone is watching you." And with that, he's gone and I'm left waiting for the escort who is going to take me to see Cato.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter! I hope you like this one just as much, if not more! Reviews are much appreciated! More chapters to come!**

Chapter 2: Confusion

By the time my escort arrives to take me to see Cato, I swear I have walked the floor raw in one spot. When Haymitch left, I expected the escort to come soon after so I stood there waiting. When the escort took longer than a minute or so, I started pacing near the door to calm my nerves. About half an hour later, this large hairy woman walks in and holds the door open for me, expecting me to walk through. "Are you ready?" she asks.

_Yea right_, I think. _I'll never be ready to play nice with Peeta's killer._

But I nod my head and look at the floor as she grunts "Follow me." Like my earlier walk with Haymitch, I have a difficult time keeping up with her pace. Man, do I need to get out of this hospital. I have never been in worse shape in my entire life! But at least I'm trying so hard to keep up with this woman that I barely have time to think about where we're headed. I'm out of breath before we reach our destination. As abruptly as we started our short journey, we stop in front of a door that looks like every other door in the hospital. The only difference is that behind this door is the boy who murdered Peeta. The boy who I would rather kill than help out. The boy who I have to pretend to love to keep our families safe.

The woman notices my hesitance and seems to squirm a little before she opened her mouth. "Would you like me to come in with you?" She doesn't make eye contact with me, but instead stares off into the maze of hallways behind me. As much as I would love some other person in the room with me so I don't kill Cato, I can tell she really didn't want to. I'm guessing she had probably gotten instructions to make sure that Cato and I had a perfect reunion. It makes me grin a little to know that someone else feels as uncomfortable with things like this as I was. I make a mental note to request this lady as my new nurse if I have to stay in this hospital any longer.

I have to fight back the urge to beg her to stay with me. "No, that won't be necessary. Thank you." She breathes out a sigh of relief the same moment I inhale a shaky breath and put my hand on the door knob. Before I even open the door, she is already halfway down the hallway.

Nothing could have prepared me for what was behind this door. The room was an exact replica of my own. Sterile and oozing with that "hospital" feel. Fast asleep on the bed in the middle of the room, a blonde boy lay fast asleep. His face looks so innocent and angelic. This is not the Cato I knew from the arena. This Cato could never have used a sword to kill people; it doesn't even look like he would have the strength to snap someone's neck. I could actually like this sleeping Cato, maybe even be his friend although I could never take him hunting. His tall, muscular body seems like it should be perfect for the physical strain of hunting, but I can tell that his steps would be much too loud and he would scare away all of the game. Just like Peeta. The boy he killed.

All of these thoughts run through my head the moment I lay eyes on the sleeping boy, but before I can even take a step into the room, he flinches a little. I can tell that he senses I'm not a nurse or a doctor. It could be my heavy breathing and my hesitating to actually stand inside his room. His whole body is completely tense, which makes me relax a little. At least I'm not the only one uncomfortable with this situation. Since he already knows I'm here, I may as well suck it up and get this over with.

As I slowly pad across the cold hospital floor barefoot, I fight with myself to sit on the chair next to his bed rather than run out the door and back to my room. I clear my throat as I lower myself to the chair, trying to position myself as comfortably as I can. _As if anyone would be comfortable in this situation. _Cato doesn't move, but I can tell he sensed that I was right next to him. "Cato, I know you're awake." I say a little more harshly than I mean to.

He opens one eye, and then the other and looks directly at me. Although with his eyes open he looks more like the Cato I remember, I still can't picture him as the mindless killing machine who volunteered to be part of the games for the fun of it. Those blue eyes don't really show hatred in them like they used to. I don't expect him to speak; after all, the doctor had informed me that he hasn't spoken to anyone since he had woken up. I realize I have no idea what to say. It's not like I can just say _'Hey, we're supposed to be in love even though you killed Peeta and I want you dead. I'm sure you want me dead too. But if we make one little mistake, our loved ones are dead." _ So we just sit there and stare at each other for what seems like hours. I try to stay as still as possible, but those piercing blue eyes make me squirm.

I think he can tell that I'm becoming uncomfortable because he cracks a little smile and chuckles to himself. I can't help but get angry. That smile brings back the cocky Cato I knew, and I don't like it one bit.

"What's so funny?" I snarl at him before I can stop myself. Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought. I have to control my emotions better or there's no way in hell I'll be able to pull this off. Apparently, though, Cato doesn't take offense to my anger. Instead, his smile grows larger. Which just so happens to make me angrier. I stand up quickly, making my head spin a little. But I don't let it phase me. I cannot be in this room any longer with this boy. The boy who killed Peeta and now thinks everything I say is hilarious. It's like he's taunting me and I know if I don't get out of here soon, I may kill him.

"Fine. You know what? I was going to help you. But you can just forget it. I don't know how they ever talked me into coming to see you. You're still the monster I saw in training. The boy who killed Peeta. You can rot in here for all I care." And I slam the door.

I make it almost back to my room, I can see the door from where I am, when I feel a hand on my arm. I whirl around, ready to strike, when I see Cato. He's still grinning, and I'm clenching my fist in preparation to hit him square in the jaw, if I can even reach it. He's a lot taller than I remember. But right before I'm about to swing my arm up at him, he opens his mouth to speak.

"Wait. You don't want to do that." His voice startles me and I jump back a little, freeing my arm from his strong grasp. How is it that he still has so much strength after this long in the hospital?

I don't have too much time to ponder that question because he grabs my arm again and pushes me into the nearest door. It is pitch black and I have a feeling that he dragged me in here to kill me. I back up into what I feel are shelves, and I can hear him shuffling around in the darkness. Now is my chance to kill him, I think. But before I build up the nerve to move, he finds the light and clicks it on.

I squint against the bright light for a second, and I can see he does the same. Maybe he just wanted the light on so he could see my face when he finally strangled me. I look around for a weapon and realize that nothing in this room could compare to the power of his own hands.

Oh well, hopefully he'll get this over with quickly. Then at least I wouldn't have to pretend to be in love with him to save my family. Maybe if he killed me, Snow would forgive me and let my loved ones live.

My optimistic thoughts about dying quickly fade as he shuffles closer to me. I hold my breath as he inches even closer. He's no more than a few inches from my face when he speaks. I can feel his breath on my skin.

"Funny thing we both survived, isn't it? Who would have thought the Girl on Fire would have chickened out at the last minute?" Okay, now I'm confused. He doesn't seem angry with me for living. He seems angry at me for not killing him. I guess I'm not hiding the confused look on my face very well, because he chuckles again.

"I gave up. I waited for you to kill me and you didn't. Why didn't you kill me?" He looks into my eyes and I can see the emotion coming up with the tears. "Why didn't you kill me?" He repeated.

"I—I don't know." I stammered. I don't like him being this close to me. He seems unstable. And I know I'm unstable. And even though I thought optimistically about my death when he was across the room from me, having him standing this close to me makes me fear him.

"Not good enough, District 2. I want a real answer. You had the chance to kill me. Hell, I sat down and waited for you to make your move." He gets closer with every word, and I feel like if I blink, my eyelashes will touch his cheek. I swallow hard and try to push myself back against the shelves as much as possible, hoping for a little more space between our bodies with no luck.

"That's the truth. I don't even remember anything after you—"I stop. I can't bring myself to say Peeta's name. It doesn't feel right in this situation to bring up his death. And as much as I want Cato to feel guilty for it, the emotions in his face are telling me not to say anything.

"After I killed Lover Boy? Yeah, the whole point in me killing him in front of you was to get you mad enough to kill me. I watched you in training. That wide-eyed doe look had everyone else fooled, but not me. I knew that with the right motivation, you could be just as cold hearted as the rest of us." He smirks, and I see that cocky look in his eyes. He thinks he finally angered me, maybe that he would get me to lash out at him, but I'm dumbfounded.

"Why would you want me to kill you?"

He backs up and looks away from me.

"Cato, why did you want me to kill you?" I repeat and move closer to him. His vulnerability draws me closer to him. He keeps inching further and further away until his hand is on the door knob. I put mine on top of his to stop him.

"Wait, Cato." He looks at me expectantly, but I don't know what else to say. I have no right to know why he wanted to die. We have been enemies since day one. I can't really expect him to confide in me. But I do have to tell him about Snow and the rumors of rebellion and what kind of danger our loved ones are in. "We need to talk. There are some things you have to know." I can see him sigh in relief that I have dropped the previous subject.

"Okay. So talk." He seems to have crawled back into his old self. The vulnerability in his face and eyes has disappeared.

"Not here." I say in a hushed voice. "We have to go out to the courtyard." He looks perplexed for a second, then shrugs and reaches for the door knob again. I inhale deeply, and regret what I say as soon as I open my mouth. "Wait, there's one more thing. We have to—we have to hold hands."

His jaw drops and then he gives me a huge grin. "Girl on Fire, do you have a thing for me?" He jokes.

"No!" I snap back, a little too quickly. "Just trust me. We need to hold hands and we have to pretend that we aren't completely repulsed by each other." He winces a little at that last part and I immediately feel bad for saying it.

"Whatever you say, Girl on Fire." He grunts and grabs my hand, maybe a little too harshly. We step back out into the hallway, which thank goodness, is empty. We start heading down the hallway that I believe leads out to the courtyard, although I can't be positive. I'm hoping we aren't going to get lost, because I cannot hold his hand for longer than I have to. It feels so natural, yet so wrong. As much as I hate him, his strong hand enclosing mine makes me feel better. Even though he's the one who caused most of my pain, it comforts me to have someone by my side. I didn't realize how lonely his hospital had made me feel.

"You know. I do have a name. I don't call you 'District 2' or 'Monster', do I?" I look up at him, expecting him to get mad. But he doesn't. Instead, that cocky grin of his comes back and he pulls me a little closer to him.

"Alright, Katniss. But you know, I really wouldn't mind if you called me Monster. It sounds pretty bad ass. Maybe if I go by Monster, all these nurses and doctors will leave me alone. They think I'm brain dead just because I don't want to talk to them."

"So why did you decide to talk to me? I figured I would be the last person you'd want to talk to." I look away, hoping he can't see the curiosity on my face. Apparently, since I've been in the hospital, I've also lost the ability to hide my emotions. At all. I swear I used to be better at hiding my emotions, but maybe I just thought I was good at it because my emotions were never this strong.

"Oh, believe me. You are not even close to the last person I'd want to talk to." I can feel him grinning at me, but I can't look back at him. His smile does weird things to my emotions and I have to try my hardest to keep my emotions under control, at least while we're out in the open.

I wait for him to say more, to explain his answer, but he doesn't. The silence is uncomfortable but I don't have anything left to say to him. We turn another corner and the hallway in front of us looks exactly like the hallway behind us. I don't see natural light coming in anywhere and I begin to panic. We're lost. I stop, but Cato doesn't seem to notice. He keeps walking until my arm yanks his arm backwards. He turns around, confused. Then that grin pops back onto his face and he laughs a little.

"You got us lost, didn't you?" He's moving closer to me now and I completely forget that I got us lost. All I can think about is how I want him to stop moving closer to me so I can actually think straight. But he can't read my thoughts and my face must not be betraying me this time.

"These halls all look the same. I—I guess we can ask someone?" I look around and spy a nurse stepping out of a room about halfway down the hallway from me. "Excuse me!" She glances up at me before taking quick steps towards me.

"Could you be a little quieter? This is a hospital, after all." She gives us both dirty looks and Cato nudges me with his elbow. He thinks it's funny that I'm being scolded. I didn't even think I was being that loud.

"Sorry." I mumble, trying not to make eye contact with her or Cato. "We're looking for a courtyard. I was there earlier today, but I can't seem to find it. I wanted to take my—" I look up at him, unsure what to call him, "—Cato to see it. He could use some fresh air.

"You are all sorts of turned around, young lady. You need to go back down the hallway you just came down, take the first right. When you pass the nurses' station, take another right and then it will be on the left. You should be able to see the light through the door." Before we can thank her, she turns around and hurries back down the hallway and enters another room quietly.

"You heard the same directions I heard, right? So if we get lost this time, it's your fault too." I look up at him, grinning. See? I think. I can play whatever game he can play.

"We'll see. Women are always horrible with directions." He laughs back and pulls me down the hallway. There's no more conversation after that, and he doesn't seem to be grinning as much anymore. He seems to be eager to get to the courtyard too. This whole holding hands thing has dropped both our guards, and I know I'm not the only one who feels uncomfortable by this.

We turn another corner and I finally spot the light from the door. I begin to pick up my pace, and Cato does so accordingly. When we finally push open the doors, I stop for a moment to take in the fresh air. I close my eyes and I'm about to release my grip on Cato's hand when he grabs mine tighter. I open my eyes and look up at him. He's looking up at a monitor and his face is starting to twist into a horrified look. I follow his gaze and feel my face mimicking his as I see what he sees. They are replaying our final moments in the arena. Cato just snapped Peeta's neck and is now staring at me, a wild look in his eyes. Then the look is gone and he turns away, sitting down across from me on the Cornucopia. It holds us there for a while, just staring at each other and then it cuts out. President Snow comes onto the screen with an announcement. A shiver runs down my spine and I find myself scooting closer to Cato, our hands still gripped together. How do we let such a creepy man lead our country? He has always given me the willies, but now more than ever.

"Greetings, citizens of Panem. I have a special announcement. After two months of waiting, it seems that our victors are healed and ready to speak to the country about their experience! Tune in tomorrow night to see their first live interview with Caesar as they share the story of their affair as well as their plans for their future. Don't miss this historical event as we crown two victors for the first time in the Games history!" And then it cuts out. Oh god, I forgot all about the stupid circus victors have to deal with after the games are over. There are the interviews, the crowning, and later, the victory tour. Not to mention we'll have to be mentors for years to come. I wonder how that will work, with us being from different districts. I guess we'll do separate mentoring?

A cough from somewhere in the courtyard brings me back to reality and I realize how confused Cato must be. I look up at him but he's still staring at the screen. His horrified look has indeed turned into a confused one. Our hands are interlocked so tight, our fingers are turning pale.

"Cato." I say, trying to bring him back to reality as well. He doesn't budge. "Cato." I say again, a little louder. He doesn't seem to hear me. I turn towards him and use my free hand to shake him by the shoulder. He blinks a few times, dazed. Then he glances down at me, his eyes narrowing.

"Is this what you needed to talk to me about?"

"Yeah, sort of. There's a little more to it than that, but I had to make sure we weren't being listened to." I look around and then pull him further into the courtyard, towards the spot where Haymitch took me. Cato follows willingly, never letting the grip loosen on my hand. When we stop, he turns to me.

"Okay, spill." He looks at me expectantly and I start to explain.

"Well, as you saw, it looked a lot like we both gave up at the end of the games. Snow didn't see it that way. He thinks we plotted to embarrass him in front of all of Panem. And apparently because of this, along with a few other things that happened during the games, there are rumors of rebellion spreading. Haymitch says Rue's district seems to be the first, but others are sure to follow. So while we were unconscious, our lovely mentors came up with this story of our secret love affair to throw Snow off our backs. We met during training and fell in love. I thought I loved Peeta too, but our love was different. We both tried to pretend we didn't love each other during the games. I used Peeta to get gifts from sponsors, as per Haymitch's directions. You just killed everyone to hide your pain. Are you keeping up?" I realize I haven't made eye contact since I started speaking, mainly because I knew if I looked into his eyes while I told him we were supposed to be in love, I'd probably blush too much.

"I think so. But why do we have to be in love? Why couldn't we both just win? What does Snow have to do with any of this?" He's staring into my eyes now, and I feel like he can see through my barriers. This shouldn't embarrass me as much as it does, but for some reason I feel ridiculously uncomfortable.

"Oh, right. I forgot. I should have explained this part in the beginning. Snow wants us dead for embarrassing us in front of the whole country. Haymitch says if we don't play by their story and pretend we're in love, Snow will kill our loved ones. Apparently he thinks our love affair is more believable than us just giving up." I inhale, hoping I didn't talk too fast. I look up at him and see that he's processing this information.

"Right. So let me run this all by you to make sure I have it all correct. You and I are in love. If we aren't in love in the right way, our loved ones die. That's about it, right? I think I can manage that" He grins slightly at me, and I'm surprised at how well he's taking all of this.

"How are you smiling about this? This is serious business!" I say a little too loudly. I glance around; making sure no one heard me. The courtyard is basically empty, other than a few old people in wheel chairs. I look back at him and see that his smile grew bigger at my outburst.

"I should have known this is what would have happened if I was left alive with you. I think your mentor is a hardcore romantic. He seems to turn everything into a secret love affair for you. Of course I'm upset about the whole Snow thing. More upset than you know. But I can't help but see the humor in this whole thing. Especially since I murdered your first lover boy." His face gets serious and he looks into my eyes. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way. It was the games, you know." I just shrug and look away. I know I shouldn't blame him, but he did kill Peeta. Right in front of me. And I'll hate him forever for that.

"Well I'm glad you think it's funny. I don't see the humor in it. We're in danger, and so are our loved ones." I look up at him sternly, which just makes him smile even more.

"How hard can it be to pretend to love someone? I mean, you did it really well in the arena. I almost didn't realize you didn't actually love him back."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Don't you ever say that I didn't love him back. You don't even know me. Or Peeta. I may not have realized it at first, but I did—do love Peeta." I'm just not sure in what way. I can't tell Cato that, but I can't lie to myself and say that I loved Peeta like he loved me.

Cato's facial expression immediately changed from that stupid cocky smile to a serious look. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I mean, I just thought that you were playing along with it for the publicity. You never seemed to love him like he loved you. But I'm sorry. I won't speak of it again." He squeezes my hand, making me realize that we've been holding hands this entire time. "Come on, I think we've had enough fresh air for the day. Think you can get us back to our rooms safely without getting us lost?" The grin is back on his face as he tugs my arm to go.

Who is this Cato and what has he done with the vicious killing machine from the games? This Cato smiles way more than anyone who's ever killed someone should smile, and I'm a little weary about it. How can he be so happy? Especially since he had wanted to die in the arena. He wanted me to kill him, had hoped that I would end his life. So how has he gone from wanting to die to being this happy?

Regardless of his feelings about dying, he has decided to play along with me to save our families lives and for that, I'm thankful. It will be really hard and frustrating and I know I'm going to want to kill him more than once, but as long as the two of us agree that it's what needs to be done, we should get through it. I may hate this boy for killing Peeta, but I can't help but like him for helping me save Prim and my mother and even Gale. It is in no means a trade off, but I can lower my guard just a little for him. We walk silently, hand in hand, until we reach my room.

"So I guess this is it. I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams." He leans in to hug me, then whispers in my ear, "Since we're in love, do you think we should make our good night goodbye a little more romantic than a hug? After all, I haven't gotten to see you in almost two months." His suggestion sends chills down my spine and I begin breathing heavily. I haven't kissed any boy other than Peeta. That was strange enough for me, and I actually knew Peeta. And Peeta loved me. Cato doesn't, but he's right. If we're supposed to be in love, we should make sure we have a hospital full of witnesses for Snow. I look up at him and before he can say another word, I stand on my toes and place my lips to his. He seems shocked for a second, then leans in for the kiss as well, pressing his body firmly against mine. His lips press harder onto mine and I in turn press harder back. He puts his hand on my lower back to press my body even closer to his and the warmth of him soothes me. Our kiss seems to be over too quickly and yet I'm left breathless. And before I can say another word, he turns around and heads to his own room, leaving me in the empty hallway.

I'm in such a daze that I don't even realize I'm sitting on my bed until I lean back against the pillows.

_What just happened?_

I just kissed Cato. And he kissed me back. It took my breath away. It was almost like the kiss I shared with Peeta, but there was something different about it. Of course, Cato wasn't on the verge of death and Peeta was. But there was something else about that kiss. Something that just felt right. And it's not supposed to feel right. I should never feel right about kissing the person who killed Peeta. He snapped Peeta's neck right in front of me. And here I am, laughing with him and kissing him like we've been friends forever. I make myself sick. I wish the doctor would come in and sedate me. I'm never going to get any sleep after what has happened today.

Cato has surprised me in so many ways. He is nothing like I expected. I saw him kill people without a second thought. I know he was trained for it. But now he's different. He's calm and relaxed for the most part. Other than when he got emotional over asking why I didn't kill him when I had the chance. What was he saying about trying to make me kill him? Maybe one day soon, he'll tell me about it. After all, we're in love.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all SO SO SO much for reading the last two chapters! And thank you all who gave me reviews on it! The good and the bad are both accepted! I wrote this chapter while watching Lost on Netflix so forgive me if there are a lot of mistakes! I tried to read over it to make sure I got everything. There will be more to come soon! **

Chapter 3: The Public Eye

Today is the _big, big, big_ day. At least this is what Effie announces as she walks into my room bright and early the morning after my talk with Cato.

"Katniss! I'm glad you're finally awake! And Cato has finally decide to speak! Now the celebrations can really begin!" Her voice seems abnormally annoying, and when she starts ushering me out of bed I ponder how easily I could kill her. But I don't. I think about shooing her instead but I know it's useless to argue with her. When she's on a schedule, nothing will stop her, so I sit up. Rubbing my eyes, I grunt at her so she knows I'm awake.

"I have a wonderful surprise for you!" She gushes. I look up at her, quizzically. Her "surprises" usually end with me in heels or some other girly thing I'm not really interested in. "The Capitol has decided that it makes absolutely no sense to keep both Cato's escort and I to escort you both on the Victory Tour! And I will tell you, I fought hard to be able to stay with you! You would be so proud of me if you could have been there. Some of your spunk must have rubbed off on me." She smiles brightly at me and I can't help but smile back. Sometimes I want to kill the woman, but in moments like these I can't help but like her.

I think that what really happened was that the Capitol felt sorry for her. Cato's escort, after all, had gone on many Victory Tours, while Effie hadn't gone on any.

It almost makes me feel a little guilty for treating her badly, thinking about how many times Effie had brought two children to the Capitol just to have no one to take back home. I feel bad for her, for about two seconds, before I remember that everything about the games sickens me and that even she has a part in the deaths of all those children. But again, I can't really blame her. She grew up in the Capitol and it's all she knows. No Capitol children ever have to be sacrificed, so none of them really know firsthand how horrible it is. Although sending 24 children to fight to the death seems horrific enough, even when you don't know them.

"Thank you, Effie. I'm glad you're here with me." I send a genuine smile her way and I can tell that she is very pleased with herself.

"Oh, Katniss. Thank _you_ for winning the games! I knew there was something about you the moment you volunteered for your sister at the reaping! Now I get to enjoy the celebrations of the Victory Tour firsthand!" She gives me a little hug and I try not to stiffen up. Effie deserves at least that.

"Well, now that you're up I'm going to go get your prep team! I'm sure they'll be delighted to see you!" And with that, she leaves. Before my door can close all the way, I hear the _click click_ of her heels slowly fade away as she walks further down the hallway.

Now, I sit alone, waiting for my prep crew to come in and make me pretty for the cameras. I look myself up and down and realize that I don't really have many scars; the Capitol doctors made sure they left a clean canvas for my prep crew.

Apparently, my wounds weren't all that bad. I mean, yes, they would have eventually been fatal, had they not pulled me from the arena fast enough. But none of them were bad enough to keep me hospitalized for two months. When I got back from my walk with Cato yesterday, the doctor explained what had happened.

When we were pulled from the arena, the Capitol doctors did the best they could to patch us up and make us pretty. But we weren't responding once we got out of surgery. They believed there was neurological damage due to the harshness of the arena and the exhaustion we had been put through. And they were right. But because they didn't know exactly what was wrong with us, they sent us to a hospital on the outskirts of district one. It was private and no one even knew of its location. The doctors here specialized in neurology, so of course this is where they sent us. When we arrived, they found nothing wrong with us. But they continued to look until finally they saw something. The trackers that they had put in us had emitted some kind of neurotoxin that went through our bloodstream into our brain. If we had had the normal amount of blood in our bodies, it never would have ended up there. But since we were both so close to dying due to loss of blood, the toxins went straight for our brains. Once they found the cause, they easily fixed it. This whole thing took about two weeks total.

The rest of our recovery was just emotional. We had both wakened up numerous times, but we weren't stable enough to function longer than a few minutes before they knocked us back out. Cato calmed down much quicker than I did. Every now and then he would throw a huge temper tantrum and they would knock him out. But in the end, he figured it out and was completely coherent about two weeks before I was.

As my doctor had said before, Cato wouldn't speak to anyone. He would eat and sleep and stare at the wall across from his bed and that was it. He wouldn't even make eye contact with anyone. They brought in his mentors, other doctors and nurses, and even a few psychologists. No one could figure out what was wrong with him, but since he was eating they decided to let him stay awake.

I wasn't so lucky. It took me a lot longer to get the hint. I had started waking up about a week before he did, but every time I woke up I was so miserable and so angry that they put me back under almost immediately. I keep trying to remember all the times I woke up, but it makes my head hurt.

Thankfully, my prep team comes in before I can give myself too much of a headache. I can hear them coming down the hallway before they even reach my door. So I get a few seconds waning to prepare myself when Octavia, Flavius and Venia burst into my room and smother me with hugs and kisses.

"I'm so glad you won, Katniss! I knew you could do it!" Octavia squealed into my ear. Her pea green skin seems to have turned a bluer green since the last time I saw her. Other than that, they all look about the same as before. I look past them at my still open door, waiting for one more person. Flavius seems to notice that I'm distracted and follows my glance towards the door.

"Oh honey, Cinna is on his way. He just had to make some final adjustments to your new costume and he wanted to give us time to make you beautiful again!" I breathe a sigh of relief. As far as Capitol citizens go, Cinna is my favorite. My prep team makes me smile because they seem so innocent and every little thing makes them ecstatic. They're like children and you can't help but like them. But Cinna is different. Cinna isn't like any other Capitol citizen. He understands me.

While my prep team starts scrubbing me down as gently as they can, I can't help but sneak a few glances towards the door. I'm anxious to see him. I'm also anxious to be finished with this whole nightmare of being scrubbed and waxed and plucked. I don't complain out loud because I know that it will do me no good. Once I'm perfectly polished, Venia leaves and comes back with Cinna holding a garment bag on his arm.

"Alright, you guys may go now. Katniss and I have some catching up to do." Cinna says as he waves them out of my room. He hangs up the bag on the back of the door and I already know I'm going to love whatever is in it. Cinna just has a way with his designs. I'm not the kind of girl who gushes over clothing, but I would wear anything Cinna designs in a heartbeat. Even if it means I have to wear those awful heels that make me walk funny. Cinna reaches me in just a few steps and embraces me.

"Katniss. I'm glad you're okay. I told you I was betting on you. I knew you would pull through, never doubted you for a second." He pulls me away for a second to smile at me, then pulls me right back into a hug. "I know what kind of trouble you're in, and I want you to know I'm on your side." He whispers almost incomprehensibly before letting go and taking a few steps back. "So, what we need to do is get you into this beautiful dress so I can admire my work." He grins as he grabs the dress from the door and unzips the bag.

All I can tell from a first glance is that the dress is short. It seems simple enough, with a pinkish sheer fabric on top of a silky fabric the color I can only describe as orange. Like Peeta's favorite color. This dress looks like a sunset. When I put it on, I'm amazed by how something so simple could transform me into something so beautiful. I look up at him with tears in my eyes, knowing he has done this on purpose.

"Cinna, it's wonderful. Thank you so much." I say as I embrace him once more. If I could take anything good from this entire journey, it would be my friendship with Cinna.

"Of course it is. I made it for you. Now make me proud, Girl on Fire. And remember, I have your back." He smiles as he leads me out the door. Effie and my prep team are waiting for me, along with a drunken Haymitch.

"Hello there, Sweetheart! Nice to see you cleaned up. You almost look like a real lady!" He stammers, barely able to hold himself up. He looks more inebriated than usual, and I realize he's taking Peeta's death hard. I excuse his behavior, wishing I could just get drunk and numb my pain as well.

"Sorry. We tried to keep all the alcohol away from him until we at least get on the train, but it seems he sniffed it out. Booze hound." Effie huffs as she grabs my arm. "Right, we're meeting Cato at the station. His prep team didn't have to take quite as long as yours did. He is a naturally handsome boy, after all." I ignore her comment, knowing she didn't mean it in a bad way. She is right though. Cato wouldn't need much prepping to be camera ready.

Before I know it, we're arriving at the train station. I am unprepared for what I meet as I step out of the car. Thousands of people are waiting outside. Cameras are on me from every angle and I can see my shocked face staring back at me from at least twenty monitors. I try to smile, but what shows up on my face just looks awkward and forced, so instead I look at my feet, which Cinna has placed in beautiful gold sandals. Much easier to walk in than heels, I notice happily.

We've reached stairs, so I have to look up or else I'll fall on my face in front of all of these people. My heart stops when my eyes fall on him. He's dressed in a dark blue suit, as if he's the night sky after a beautiful sunset. He looks a lot leaner than before we went into the games, but still seems a lot healthier than me. When I finally make it up to his face, I notice he's staring right at me. I turn away as quickly as possible, but not quickly enough to stop my cheeks from burning bright red. He shouldn't be making my body react to him the way it is. I should be able to look at him without wanting to soak up his beauty as much as I can with my eyes. I should want to kill him. Or at least hate him. Wanting to kill him every time I see him would just make me a monster, like him. Or like the old him, I should say. I haven't even seen a flicker of anger in his eyes since I went to his room to speak to him.

I don't even notice him move, but within seconds, he's at my side. My little entourage of Effie and Haymitch and Cinna and my prep team step back a little to give us our space. Cato embraces me like we've been long lost lovers who have been apart for much too long. At first, it startles me. But then I remember that we're supposed to be in love and I accept his embrace willingly, almost jumping into his arms. He plants a kiss on my forehead before wrapping an arm around my waist to lead me to the spot he was standing when I first stepped onto the platform.

We both turn to face the crowd, his arm never leaving my waist. He's much taller than I realized, and I almost wish Cinna had put me in heels. His large frame makes me feel small. I can't even rest my head on his shoulder like I did with Peeta. Instead, I have to rest it on his chest. While I'm thinking about how big he really is, he's speaking to the crowd. I look up past the crowd and see us on the screens. I'm smiling, and I see exactly how right I really am. He has to be at least a foot taller than me. When I can across the crowd, I realize that he's just as good as charming them as Peeta was, if not better. A pang in my heart makes me realize how much I miss Peeta.

_Peeta._

Damn! Why do I have to keep forgetting that this boy, who's basically all over me, killed the only other boy to ever touch me like this. The only boy to ever really love me. I'm trying so hard to keep my facial expression from betraying me once again that I don't even realize that Cato is leading me towards the train. He allows me to go in first, grabbing my arm to help lift me up. He follows close behind. But before the rest of the team has even boarded the train, I shake off his grip on my arm and make my way to my room. I can hear Cato's footsteps behind me, so I increase my speed. His footsteps get faster too and before I can shut my door, he's leaning in the doorway.

"Did I do something wrong?" He looks into my eyes and I can almost swear he's sincere. I want to trust him when he looks at me like this, but I just can't. I saw what he did to Peeta, what he's capable of doing to another human being and it disgusts me. I disgust myself. I'm ashamed that I've been able to speak to him like a friend. As nice as he's been to me, I can't get past what I know about him.

"I just need to be alone. So move. Please." I add the please because I can't ignore the look he's giving me. I feel like I just kicked a puppy when I close the door on him. I can hear him sigh and then the soft thump of his footsteps on the plush carpet.

My breathing doesn't slow, even when I lie on my bed and try to relax. Yes, Cato killed Peeta. But there's nothing I can do to change that. Right now, my family will be in danger if I can't pull myself together. What is wrong with me? If I keep acting like this, no one is going to believe that Cato and I are in love. We're heading towards the Capitol right now for our interview and I can't even handle a minute or two with his arm around my waist.

I fling myself off my bed, aware that I have probably wrinkled my dress. Effie will be furious with me if I don't look perfect for our interview. I quickly run my hands down my dress, trying my best to smooth the wrinkles out.

I head back into the main compartment of the train, where Effie is pacing near a window, looking from her clip board to the clock. It looks like she's expecting the clock to say something different, and when it doesn't, she huffs loudly and paces a little faster.  
Haymitch is nowhere in sight, and I assume he's either passed out in his room or he's found where they keep the alcohol. I would go and look for him, but right now my own internal conflicts are enough for me to handle. I'll have to deal with Haymitch later. Plus, I think he deserves a little escape from reality.

Both of the prep teams have completely disappeared, and I'm sure they've gone to their rooms to rest. Capitol citizens aren't usually awake before noon, so they're probably in need of a nap.

The only other person in the room is Cato. I contemplate turning around and heading back to my room. Effie told us it would only be a two hour long ride to the Capitol. But I swallow my fears and walk over to him. If I'm going to get this to work, I need to be comfortable around him. Instead of sitting on the chair across from him, I squeeze myself next to him on the couch.

He glances up at me, startled. Then a grin spreads across his face.

"Miss me already, Darling?" He coos at me mockingly and I think about how I could probably punch him in the jaw before he can react. But I decide not to. Instead, I play into his act.

"Of course. I mean, after all, we've spent far too much time apart already." I say with a Capitol like accent. I give him a toothy grin and flutter my lashes at him, which makes him chuckle.

"I knew you had a sense of humor hiding somewhere in that feisty little body of yours." He reaches his arm over my shoulders, as if he's going to put me in a head lock, but a loud, almost squeak, stops him.

"Ah! Don't you mess up her hair, Cato! We don't have the time to stop and fix it before the interview." Effie snaps from the window. I blush and Cato puts his arm back down to his side. He gives me a guilty accomplice look and then nudges me with his elbow. And before I can stop myself, I hear a giggle coming out of my mouth. I stop, but it's too late. He notices and now that cocky grin on his face seems to be growing larger than I thought possible. I scoot away a little, but it doesn't seem to matter. He already knows he's won. He leans back, places his feet on the coffee table in front of us and his hands behind his head, still smiling.

Effie sees this and slaps his legs with her clip board. "I swear! I thought Haymitch was bad. District 2 must not teach their children any manners at all! Feet on a table? Now I don't have time to babysit. I have things to do. Please, try to control yourself while I'm gone." And with that, she turns and heads out of the room.

"I like her." Cato states as he removes his feet from the table. He's still smug from getting me to laugh, so Effie's scolding didn't break his spirits too much.

"She's growing on me." I say back with a little grin.

"So, what happened back there on the platform?" Cato says, turning to me, his eyes searching for an answer in mine.

"Nothing." I look back at him, but he gives me a look like he knows I'm hiding something. "I was just a little overwhelmed by the crowd." I give him a half smile before I turn away. I have a strange feeling that he knows me a whole lot better than I know him. It's like those piercing blue eyes can read my thoughts and it gives me an uneasy feeling.

He looks at me as if he's going to challenge my answer, but then he answers. "I understand that. It overwhelmed me a little too, but I felt much better having you next to me. I didn't realize how hard it was doing everything alone until I had someone I had to do everything with." His face gets serious as he looks away.

"So you mean to tell me you have no girl waiting for you at home?" I look at him, shocked. I mean, hell, I can't help but think he's ridiculously attractive even though he killed Peeta.

He turns back to me, that cocky little grin is back. "Why? Would it make you jealous if I did have a girl waiting for me back home?" I playfully shove him and he laughs. "I'm kidding! No, I just have my family. In District 2, there isn't a whole lot of room for friendships. From the day we're old enough to hold a weapon, we're put into training every day after school. Once we hit 10, we go to training twice a day, every day. Even if we wanted to make friends, there isn't much time. Not to mention we're reminded every day that we could be killing one of our fellow classmates in the arena. I mean, I had a few girlfriends growing up but nothing serious. Just fun teenage stuff, you know?" He looks at me, expecting me to nod, but I wasn't really a typical teenager back home. I hadn't even kissed a boy until Peeta. "But girls and guys stay separate until after we turn 19, for the most part. I was probably one of the most rebellious of my class, and I didn't have a girlfriend lasting longer than a week or so. There's really no room for emotion in training or in the arena. I know it may seem strange to most people, but our district is really strict on producing the best tributes possible. That's why we always volunteer. It's an honor. Or at least I thought it was." His voice fades and I look up, realizing he's staring out the window. He doesn't continue and I assume he's lost in his thoughts. I don't want to interrupt him, so I just get lost in my thoughts as well.

I always knew the career tribute districts trained well before they were allowed to. It was always known, although the game makers never did anything to stop them from gaining such an advantage. But I didn't realize they held the games to that high of a priority. They put the games above relationships? I mean, I only had Gale, and maybe Madge, but I cherish what I have with them. Or had. Who knows how different everything will be once I get back. Now that they've seen me kill people and then basically have a mental breakdown in front of the whole country. Not to mention my flaky love interests. I'm sure they would have accepted my love for Peeta. Gale wouldn't, but the rest of District 12 would have. But a love for Cato? They'll think I've gone mad. Especially after they saw me screaming for Cato to let Peeta go. A wave of dread washes through my body as I realize how completely unbelievable our story is. We're doomed, plain and simple. This realization has brought me back to reality and I glance up at Cato, who seems to still be in his own little world. I'm about to snap him out of it when a voice comes over the speakers in the room. We'll be arriving in the Capitol in a few moments and should be ready to depart.

This brings Cato back to reality and he looks back at me, a little sheepishly. Before He has a chance to say anything to me, the room begins to fill with the rest of our group. So instead, we stand up and prepare ourselves for what lies at our stop.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So, my two ridiculously adorable nephews came to visit today and I spent way too much time playing with them. So if the story is rushed, I apologize. I tried to finish it as quickly as I could so I could get some sleep! I have to be at work soon. But ANYWAYS, thank you all SO much for the reviews. They are very much appreciated. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am! This one is a bit more… romantic? It's still teen rated, I believe. I'm hoping it is anyways. Haha. I may have gotten a little carried away while describing Cato's ridiculously hot bod. :P But let me know how you all like it! There will be more chapters like this, but I do have to move on with the story line a little quicker. (Unless you loved this chapter. Then I can definitely devote more chapters to Cato and Katniss alone time! In my opinion, they haven't kissed quite enough yet!)**

Chapter 4: Alone Together

I thought we had a large crowd at the train station picking us up from the hospital, but I had been sadly mistaken. Standing there on that platform, even next to Cato, I feel lost in the sea of Capitol citizens. These are the people who cheered us all on for killing each other off, one by one. I can almost guarantee that at least a third of them were cheering the moment Cato snapped Peeta's neck.

These thoughts make me feel dizzy and for a second, I almost let myself throw up on the stage in front of them. I don't need to impress any of these people to gain sponsors anymore. The games are over and they can think what they want about me. But then again, I need to show Prim and my mother that I'm still strong. I need to show Snow that he's underestimated my strength. I also need to be strong for Cato. As much as I despise his actions in the arena, I can't have Snow punish his family.

His arm had been locked in mine, but I slowly moved my arm around his waist. Partially because I wanted to show Snow that I could be in love with this boy, but mostly because I didn't think I could hold myself up much longer without his strong body to lean against.

Cato understood my movement and mirrored it. His arm moving around my waist made me feel better instantly. Yes, the people in front of me cheering us on for killing our fellow tributes sicken me, and the boy I'm holding onto for support killed the boy who loved me, but knowing he went through it all just like I did eases me. Sure, he prepared for this his whole life and volunteered for the sheer honor of it all, but I don't think that even strong, stable Cato came out of these games completely sane. I mean, who smiles so much at someone he once planned to kill? And what was with that spill of emotion back in that supply closet when he asked why I didn't kill him? I have no room to talk with the whole emotion thing lately, but I blame that on the games.

Cato is moving us towards the stairs and I sigh in relief. At least he doesn't have to give a speech every time we're in front of a crowd. Even though he's great with his words, they're going to start notice that I have said nothing. People are going to start thinking I went mute, which won't look good for a girl who gets to be with the boy she loved and thought she would never see again. As soon as we get into our car, before the driver can even maneuver through the crowd, I turn to Cato.

"You have to help me learn how to talk to the crowd like you." I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Cato laughs a little before looking back at me, confused. "What?"

"You know, the way you talk to them with ease. As soon as I see a crowd, I freeze. I need to learn how to, well, not freeze." I can feel my cheeks getting red, but I don't care.

"I'm not sure how to do that. I mean, you just have to be comfortable up there. Be confident. I know half of those Capitol ladies would love a night out, or in, with me, so I use that to boost my confidence." Cato grins, the beauty of his smile almost makes me forget how completely full of himself he just was. I shake my head.

"Sometimes, I think you're too cocky for your own good. Someday, someone is going to burst that big bubble of yours and you'll be lost." I smirk at him, knowing that no matter what I say to put him down, he'll somehow twist it into a compliment.

"Hey, being a little cocky never hurt anyone. Besides, I got you to like me, didn't I?" His grin softens a bit as he looks at me. I don't want to admit he's right, but I can't help feeling like we could have been friends if we hadn't been thrust into that arena to kill each other.

I smile mischievously at him. "Oh, you think you've won me over already? Maybe I'm just better at acting than you realize." I wink at him and lean up to peck him on the cheek.

"Except you keep acting, even when we're alone." Cato states matter-of-factly and I'm tempted to stick my tongue out at him, but I come up with a better response.

"A good actress never gets out of character. Plus, I don't see you dropping the act when we're alone either." I shoot back.

"Maybe that's because I'm not acting." His face gets serious and he looks into my eyes. "Katniss, I don't hate you. I never did. If anything, I admired the way you and Peeta changed the games. If I didn't think you were such a threat, I would have asked you to ally with me from the beginning. I liked your spunk. And I saw right through all that giggling and twirling the night of your interview. In training, I could see you were scared, but I could also tell how much more prepared for these games you were than most of us."

My mouth opens, and then shuts because I have nothing to say. Then it opens again, this time I think of a reply. "I never realized you noticed me. I mean, I was pretty sure you knocked me off as an easy kill from day one."

His grin comes back. "Are you kidding me? I was pretty sure you'd end up in a tree somewhere, shooting us all down one by one." He nudges me with his elbow and I can tell he's done being serious with me. This is fine with me, since I'm not sure if I like how serious Cato makes me feel inside.

But still, I can't joke about the games just yet. So I change the subject. "How do you think our interview will go tonight?"

"Oh, that's easy. Flickerman loved me, so just let me do all the talking. Sound good to you, babe?" He leans in close, his grin widening as he sees the color flood my cheeks again.

"I'm serious, Cato." I lean in even closer, so close that if we went over a bump, we'd probably both end up with broken noses. "We need to get our story perfect before we go out there. There can't be any holes." And just so the driver doesn't get suspicious of our whispering, although I'm almost positive he isn't paying any attention to us, I kiss him on the cheek and giggle a little, as if we just shared a funny inside joke. Cato caught on and chuckled a little to himself, nodding at me.

We arrive at the training center, which is good since I don't know what else to say. Since we're both from different districts, and District 12 had the penthouse suite, they put us up there.

I dread walking back onto our floor; the floor I shared with Peeta. Cato will be taking the room that Peeta stayed in, which unsettles me even more. He really is taking Peeta's spot in the world, isn't he? Next thing you know, Cato will be baking bread and camouflaging himself like nobody's business. I shake that thought from my mind. I bet Cato can't even cook. When we step on the elevator to head up to the floor, no one follows us. I look back and realize Haymitch is arguing with Effie. When I go to hold the door, Haymitch looks up at me and waves for us to just go up without him.

Oh no. Now not only do I have to ride alone in the elevator with Cato, I also have to show him around the floor I once shared with Peeta. I have a knot in my stomach just thinking about it. But, on the plus side, I can finally let go of his hand and move a comfortable five feet away from him.

I try to shake off his hand, but it doesn't seem like he's ready to let go. I give up. Maybe he's more unnerved about this than I realized.

I look up at him and can see that he's trying his hardest to control his emotions.

"Cato." I say, pulling his arm to bring him back down to earth. "Are you alright?"

He exhales loudly. "It's weird that I'm going to be sleeping on the same bed Peeta slept on, isn't it?" I want to agree with him, but for some reason what comes out of my mouth isn't what I wanted to say.

"No, it's not that weird. Well I mean, I guess I could see how it might be weird. But he barely spent any time in his room anyways. And I'm sure they've changed the bedding since then." My pathetic attempt to comfort him makes him laugh.

"I'm not worried about whether the sheets are dirty or not, Katniss. But thanks, that makes me feel a little better." He lets go of my hand long enough to grab my chin and pull my face up to look at his, which has become serious again. I brace myself for the feelings that emerge when he talks to me like this. "I really am sorry about all of this. I feel like I'm intruding on what should be a celebration for you and Peeta." I want to comfort him again, but I just can't. Instead, I stand on my toes and kiss his cheek and then I lean in closer to him. I know by the way that he pulls me in tighter that he understands my way of accepting his statement.

It seems like forever before the elevator doors open and we step out onto the plush carpet, breaking our embrace.

"Wow, they weren't kidding about the penthouse suite thing." Cato mumbles in awe.

I look over at him, surprised. "Your floor didn't look like this?"

"Not even close. I mean, it had mostly the same furniture, but this place is way fancier." He starts wandering around the entry and walks towards the living area and the dining area.

"Would you like me to show you where your room is?" I ask because all I want to do is go to my room and lay on my bed, but that would be rude to just leave him wandering.

He stops his wandering and walks right up to me, backing me up into a wall. "Are you trying to seduce me, Katniss?" His voice has lowered quite a bit, and I'm startled at how my body reacts to him. I quickly push him off of me and head towards my room.

"Forget it, you can find it on your own." I call out before shutting my door. I can almost sense him still standing in the spot where I left him, with a perplexed look on his face and it makes me smile a little. I know I overreacted but I can't help but feel a little victory over him for now.

I sit on my bed for about five minutes before I realize that I'm bored just sitting here. I begin to get restless and decide to go apologize to Cato. When I walk out of my room, he's nowhere to be seen. He must have found his room. I head for Peeta's old room and see the door is closed.

I decide that there's no point in knocking, since he couldn't have been in there for much longer than a few minutes and is probably just sitting on his bed like I was. Boy, was I wrong. As soon as I open the door, I get a whiff of something woodsy. Then I see the steam coming out of the bathroom. Before I can turn around and run for it, the door shuts behind me loudly.

"Katniss, is that you?" I hear Cato say right before I hear the water turn off. He knows I'm here, and if I leave now, he'll think I was spying on him showering. But if I stay, won't he think I'm perverted for waiting for him to get out of the shower? As I'm debating in my head, I hear his footsteps move from the tile in the bathroom to the plush carpet of his room. I'm afraid to look up. So instead I walk over to the window to look out it. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, I—I just wanted to see if you had the same view as me." I stammer, still not looking back. I can hear him walking towards me and I hold my breath. Right before his footsteps reach me, I turn around. Maybe if I show him I'm not scared of him fresh out of the shower, he won't be able to use it against me.

Turning around was definitely a mistake, I think. His blonde hair was wet, making it look more like a light brown, which does nothing but accentuate his gorgeous blue eyes. As my eyes make their way down his body, I fight with them to look away, but I can't. His chest and abs are completely chiseled and lean. _Thank goodness! _I think, when I notice that he has a towel around his waist. But then I notice just how low it is and my breathing increases. Lines from his sides go down past his hip, forming a perfectly chiseled "V" that meets up with the towel dangerously close to things I don't want to see. After a few seconds, I realize that I've been looking him up and down for way too long. When I finally look back up at his face, I see his cocky grin plastered on his face.

"See anything you like?" He says as he twirls around for me.

"Actually, the view is much better in my room." I sputter quickly, hoping I can get past him and to the door without looking at him again, but he catches my arm.

"Why are you really here?" His grin hasn't faded. In fact, it looks like it grew, which shouldn't be humanly possible.

I shrug, and look straight into his eyes. Maybe if I keep eye contact with him, I won't look down again. This would be a good plan if his piercing blue eyes didn't give me a similar reaction that his bare chest gives me. But now that I have his gaze, I hold it. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I definitely overreacted a little. I know you were just joking around and I should have been okay with that. And now that I've said what I came in here to say, I'll leave you alone to uh—get dressed."

I try to shake his grip off my arm, but he's much stronger than me. He's pulled me into him, and I can feel his bare chest on my arms. I try to push away a little, but it's no use. "You know, you don't have to apologize to me. I actually like getting that reaction out of you. It means I'm getting to you." His lips are inches from mine and I'm so close to him that if I look down, I'll smother myself in his well sculpted chest muscles. So I hold his gaze as best as I can, although I feel like I might pass out from all the different emotions raging inside of me. He slowly leans even closer, but instead of kissing my lips, he moves back and plants a gentle kiss on my forehead before letting me go. I walk a little too quickly towards the door and swing through it before my body betrays me. As I sprint towards my room, I almost knock Effie to the floor.

"Katniss! Your dress is completely wrinkled! And your hair! I knew I shouldn't have taken my eye off of you. Hopefully we can find your prep crew before the interview to spruce you up a little. I can't have my first victor going on stage looking like she just rolled out of bed." Effie shakes her head, writing furiously on her clip board. "Cato better not look as bad as you or I'm going to have to put the two of you on leashes! Where is Cato, by the way?"

I blush and look away, hoping she didn't notice. I head back towards my room, calling out over my shoulder. "I'll try to get the wrinkles out, Effie. And I think Cato is in his room. I haven't seen him for a while." And with that, I shut my door and sink to the carpet.

I realize I'm shaking from my most recent encounter with Cato. What is going on with me? One minute I want to kill him, and the next minute I'm ready to jump him! I can't blame myself for wanting to be in his arms, kissing him. I mean, if his face wasn't enough to attract me, his body sure did the job. And his kisses! I only have Peeta's to compare to and they are so completely different that I can't even begin to. It isn't even just his looks, either. This new Cato I've been introduced to is nothing like I expected. Yes, he's cocky and sometimes I still want to punch him. But he also has a sweet side. There's just something about him that I can't pull away from. Even thinking of how he killed Peeta doesn't help me now. I know it was part of the games. I killed Glitter and Marvel and would have probably tried to kill him too if I had the chance. Not to mention there's still that mystery of why he wanted me to kill him back in the arena. Maybe tonight, I can convince him to talk to me about it. I don't know where though. I could take him onto the roof, but that's mine and Peeta's. It may be the only place I can take him though. I'll keep my eyes out for some other place until then. There's a knock at my door and I jump. I hadn't realized I was so deep in thought. I walk over to my door and open it, surprised to see Cato there. His hair is still a little wet, and it brings the red back to my cheeks instantly.

"Want to go for a walk with me?" I see the look in his eyes, and know he means we need to find a private place to go over our story for the interview. I nod and we walk to the elevator.

"Where are you going, Sweetheart?" Haymitch stammers from the couch and I'm afraid to even look at him.

"You two better not mess up your outfits more than you already have! I know I should have brought back up outfits." Effie calls out from a chair near Haymitch, not even glancing up from her clipboard.

"We'll be back soon. Cato just wanted a little fresh air before the interview." I say quickly as the doors close. Then I look up at Cato. "Where exactly are we going?" I ask. The only place I know of for privacy is the roof, and we're definitely headed in the wrong direction.

"Don't worry; it's a place I found during training. They'll never hear us where we're going." He grins and grabs my hand. I don't even pull away, even though I know it isn't necessary for us to pretend to be in love when we're alone. He leads me into the actual training center and I look up at him, confused. He isn't paying any attention to me, just looking around. Then he leads us across the big room and to one of the padded walls. Dropping my hand, he pushes a few of them and then I hear a click. The panel he just pushed on slowly swings open and he pulls me inside quickly, shutting it.

It's really dark and I wait for him to turn on a light, but he doesn't. I feel around, looking for a wall, but just find Cato and his muscular abs in front of me. I pull away and he chuckles.

"There aren't any lights. It's about a nine by nine room. I accidently found this early one morning when me and Clove were practicing. All of you guys were still asleep. We used it to discuss who we wanted as allies and what we thought of all of our opponents. It was actually kind of nice. We talked about home too. She had a boyfriend. But it was a secret. Not even her family knew. I wonder how he's holding up." Cato thinks that last part out loud.

We sit in silence for a few minutes before I speak up. "So, our story..." I prompt.

"Right. He says, snapping back to reality. "Well, I think so far we've done a good job being in love in front of the cameras, don't you?" I agree and am thankful that it's pitch black, so he can't see me blushing and squirming at the thought. He continues. "Haymitch, Enobaria and Brutus told them we met and fell in love during training. Since they weren't actually allowed to film us during training, that should be easy enough. We can say we bumped into the each other in the elevator one night and got to talking. We did ride in the elevator a few times together, didn't we?" I can feel him looking at me so I say yes and he continues again. "We can even mention this room, if you want to. We can say we met here secretly at night to have long conversations and fall in love."

He has his hand on my waist now and I can feel him leading me somewhere. He sits down and he drags me down with him. I end up in his lap.

"I'm so sorry!" I say quickly and try my best to get off him without touching him more. "It's dark. I couldn't see what you were doing." He laughs at my awkwardness. I finally get off him, but our legs are still touching. "I think your plan is good. You don't mind giving away your secret room?"

"Nah. What use is it now? The games are over. After this whole celebration, I'll never have to come back here again." He puts his arm around my shoulder in a friendly way and I lean in towards him comfortably. How have we gotten from enemies to being comfortable sitting like this in such a short time? I shake the thought. I need to focus on the matter at hand first. I can worry about our relationship later.

"Okay. So we met in the elevator and started secretly meeting in here, where we fell in love. We then decided to try and forget about each other and hope we weren't the last two left. I can handle the Peeta part. That's about it, right?"

"I think so. I mean, I can fill in blanks every now and then and so can you. It's not like we're supposed to know everything about each other. Especially when we were in the arena. We barely had any contact. I think we're set. Just be confident and make sure we are touching in every way possible while sitting on that stage and we should be good!"

After that, we get up. Cato finds the door and we head back up to our floor. I feel confident that our plan will work. My earlier doubts now have valid explanations, and our story seems solid enough. I do feel confident, and I lean on Cato, smiling. This could work. And there's even an extra plus: Cato and I can be friends after this is all over. He isn't the maniac I thought he was when I first met him.

When the doors open up to our floor, Effie is waiting for us. She seems angry.

"You two are late! I got the prep team here and everything, but there's no time! You will just have to go on stage looking awful. Where have you two been, anyways?"

I blush and Cato takes that as a cue to shrug it off like we did something bad and we can't talk about it. He chuckles and I join in with a light laugh. That's when I realize we're lying to Effie, too. She obviously doesn't know we're faking our love, and I even thought about how we had to act around her as well. But we've apparently been doing a good job because our lack of explaining where we've been has made Effie blush, if that is even possible.

My confidence grows even more as I realize we're fooling Effie. Sure, she's not the brightest person around, but it's a start.

"Oh forget it. I'm not sure I want to know. Get back in the elevator. We needed to be at the interview three minutes ago!" She pushes us back and we head down.

Again, there's a crowd waiting for us. And just to show how in love with Cato I am, I stop him in his tracks, grab the collar of his suit and pull him down to meet my lips in a deep, hard kiss. He puts one hand on my lower back and the other on my cheek as he pulls me closer to him. The pressure on my lips increases as he pushes his lips down harder on mine. Unlike our other kisses, I can feel Cato slip his tongue in my mouth. I'm not sure what to do because I have never had a kiss like this, but I can't say I can complain. It seems like our kiss has gone on forever, and when we separate, I look up in time to see a replay of our kiss on a screen.

There's only one word I can use to describe our kiss, and it scares the hell out of me: Passionate.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews! I hope you like this chapter! Apparently I need to make more time to write these because I'm staying up way too late to finish them! I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! Hopefully I can keep up with this whole Chapter a day thing! Wish me luck and enjoy!**

Chapter 5: Terror

All my confidence drains from my body before I even have a chance to step onto the stage. I'm shaking uncontrollably and my palms are starting to drip with sweat. I can feel my stomach turning and I beg my body to keep my food down. I'm so terrified of going back on that stage that I don't even hear Cato speaking to me. He has to shake me to get my attention.

"Katniss!" His hands are on my shoulders as he gently shakes me. "Are you okay?" The concern in his stare touches me.

I take a deep, shaky breath before replying. "I tried being confident. I was confident. But now we're actually here and I don't think I can do it. I don't think I can go back on that stage Cato. It's too hard." Tears are coming to my eyes and I know I'm being a baby, but apparently since the games, my stage fright has become unbearable.

"It's okay. You just need to sit there looking beautiful, alright? I can handle most of the talking myself. I promise I won't let anything happen." He runs his hands off my shoulders, down my arms and grabs both my hands with his. "I know this must bring back memories for you. And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for what we're about to go on stage and say. I know your feelings for Peeta were confusing and trying to explain them to the whole country while also sneaking in a love affair isn't going to be easy. So if you have trouble, just squeeze my hand and I'll take over."

He's being serious again, and if I wasn't about to throw up all over his beautiful suit, I would probably have leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. Instead, I ran for a trashcan. When I'm finished, my cheeks are burning red and tears threaten to fall from my eyes. Cato is by my side, which makes everything worse. But he gives me a strong, sturdy hug and I calm down a little. At least, enough to make me stop tearing up.

"Thanks." I say with a little smile.

"Hey, I can't have it looking like you've been crying, can I? I mean, I'm probably hot enough to distract most of the crowd, but if an eye strays off of me and onto you, they'll think I was beating you or something." His grin widens as he tries to make a joke.

"Don't be so cocky, Cato. You'll be lucky if a single person lays eyes on you while I'm sitting next to you." I grin back. Oh no, I think. He's rubbing off on me. Not that I believe what I just said. There's no way I could draw attention away from Cato and his warm grin and those intense blue eyes that you could just get lost in. Not to mention his build. After what I saw earlier today, I'm not sure how I've even been able to take my eyes off of him. I snap back to reality just in time to realize that I look like I'm undressing him with my eyes, and he's noticed. My cheeks burn as I look away, avoiding that arrogant smile of his.

I can hear him inhale, as if he's about to say something smug, but the _click click_ of Effie's heels save me.

"Are you two presentable? We're about to go on! How exciting is this? The crowd is going to be ecstatic!" She basically jumps up and down in excitement. Before she can say another word, we're being ushered on stage. Instead of staring out at the crowd, which I know will make me sick again, I glance around the stage. I notice that both our prep teams are sitting on the far side of the stage and Effie is walking over to join them. We pass our mentors as we make our way for a couch, set in place of the normal chair waiting for a single victor.

At least I'm not alone doing this, I think with relief. Cato has my hand and is leading us to the couch, which is fantastic since I'm not sure I would make it there on my own. My knees are wobbly and I'm a little dizzy.

As soon as we sit down, Cato's arm goes around my waist and I instantly curl up to him, making sure I'm touching him in every possible way I can. I am pressed so firmly against his body that I can feel his abdominal muscles ripple through his shirt as he breathes. I begin to realize that if I focus on Cato, it takes my mind off of the crowd a little. I don't even realize that Caesar has started talking until I feel the rumble of Cato's voice through his chest.

"—It was really hard to focus on the games, knowing it might end up with Katniss and I face to face." Cato says as Caesar nods. I have no idea how long they've been talking, but I figure I should start paying attention, just in case I have to speak up.

"So, we know how the two of you met, how your love began, and now how hard it was for Cato during the games. Katniss, do you have anything you'd like to add to that?"

"Not really. I mean, it was all really confusing for me. Peeta had confessed his love to the whole country, but I had already fallen for Cato. In a sense, I did love Peeta. He'll always be a part of me. But the love I feel for Cato is completely different. I can't really explain it. I just hoped that the two of them would get killed in the arena, just so we wouldn't be the last three left. Then when they announced that both Peeta and I could live, I knew I had to fight for his life. In love or not, Peeta was my friend. When we were young, he saved my life. He gave me hope and I had to give him the same thing. But then when we were at the top of the Cornucopia with Cato, all my emotions ran wild and I wanted them both to live. I understand that Cato had to kill Peeta. It was part of the games. I knew if only one person could live, I would have had to kill him to get back to my family. I promised Prim I would come home to her. But when Peeta died, something snapped inside of me and I realized I couldn't kill Cato. I knew he would have to kill me. I had already lost Peeta. I wouldn't have been able to survive with Cato being gone as well. I mean, I knew it was a possibility going into the arena, but I didn't think I had a chance to be the last one standing either."

The words flow out of me and I am out of breath by the time I finish. My heart also skips a beat as I realize that even through my lies; I know some of what I said was true. I hated to admit that Peeta's death was inevitable, but we were all killing people and being killed just for the games. For the entertainment of these horrible people. Rage begins to build up inside of me, but Cato saying my name brings me back to reality. I look up at him, confused.

He laughs, as does Caesar and the whole crowd. "Honey, I was just telling them how you brought me back to sanity in the hospital." He kisses my forehead and doesn't notice the tiny flinch I make when he calls me honey. Even if he was really the love of my life, I don't do pet names well.

Caesar faces me, his eyes prompting me to answer the question he asks. "How exactly did you do that?" He seems genuinely intrigued and it actually makes me a little more comfortable, knowing I can tell the truth this time.

"Well, Cato woke up about two weeks before me. We both had a rough recovery, but Cato was strong enough to take hold of his emotions. I wasn't. By time I woke up, the doctors were ready to kick us out." With that, everyone laughs. Although I didn't mean it as a joke, I'm glad they are responding to me like they do to Cato. "My doctor had informed me that Cato was already awake, but hadn't spoken to anyone. They tried bringing in his mentors, but nothing worked. They thought that maybe his absent mind was due to thinking I didn't survive. So when I went to talk to him, he wasn't responsive at first. But I was almost back to my room and he chased after me. I was so relieved!" I gushed as I lean in closer to him, if that is even physically possible.

I thought I was already as close to him as I could possibly be at the beginning of the interview. But now I can feel his heartbeat through my own chest, I can feel every slight movement he makes. Our closeness worries me a little. I mean, the crowd loves it, but I shouldn't be all over someone I barely know. Whether I forgive him for killing Peeta or not, I can't trust my emotions right now. And since my emotions are screaming for me to get even closer to Cato, I know I'm in trouble. I feel like I've said enough, so I just sit back and listen to Cato and Caesar banter back and forth for a while, like Peeta used to do with Caesar. Except Cato is being cocky again. I can hear him talking about Peeta. I try to keep a straight face as I listen.

"—even though Peeta is a good looking guy, no one in that arena was much competition." That overconfident smile of his is shining so bright, and I know I have to force a nod in agreement with him so it looks like we're in love. I'm ridiculously angry with him for comparing himself to Peeta. His personality had nothing on Peeta's. And Peeta was a great looking guy! His eyes were just as beautiful as Cato's, if not more.

I tune out the rest of the interview, knowing that if I hear one more thing that will anger me; I'll blow up in front of all of Panem. And that is completely unacceptable. Prim's life is on the line here and when we get back to the training center, I'm going to rip Cato a new one. But until then, I will sit on this couch and smile dreamily at him, scooting closer and closer.

The interview ends before I realize it and we're standing and shaking hands with Caesar. And before I can even smile towards the crowd before walking off the stage, Cato grabs my neck and my lower back and dips me, trying to kiss me like I kissed him earlier. But I'm not as good as he is at responding quickly. I bite his tongue in surprise and then clumsily try to kiss him back as I feel his blood in my mouth. He seems to ignore it though, and brings me back up to standing position. All I can hear are screams from the crowd. They loved it. At least I didn't screw it up. Cato drags me off the stairs and as soon as we're in the empty hallway, turns to me.

"What the hell was that for?" He asked, a little irritated as he tries to look at his tongue to make sure I didn't do permanent damage. The sight of him trying to look down at his tongue temporarily makes me forget I'm mad and I start giggling uncontrollably. The nerves must be making it hard for me to stop, because by time I calm down, my side hurts and Cato is giving me a strange look.

"Sorry." I mumble. "You looked funny. And I'm sorry for the tongue too. You took me off guard and the whole nerves thing just turned me into the world's worst kisser." I look up at him sheepishly, knowing he'll forgive me.

His smile proves me right as he pulls me in for a hug. "Actually, I thought you did pretty well. I mean, I could tell you were a little nervous. You over talked a little, but it was perfect. I'm proud of you." He squeezes me again before grabbing my hand as we walk towards the car to take us back to the training center.

When we get into the car, I remember that I'm mad at him, so I let go of his hand and scoot away from him a little. He looks at me, puzzled, but doesn't say anything to me. Effie is in the car with us and I don't think he wants to say anything in front of her. The car ride is silent, except for Effie occasionally complimenting us on how great the interview went and a little small talk here and there about how our disheveled looks didn't ruin everything.

When we get up to our floor, I head straight for my room and Cato follows. Effie huffs when she sees us, but says nothing because Brutus has Haymitch in arms. Haymitch is passed out drunk and missing a shoe. I contemplate turning back to help them get him to bed and then decide against it. I owe Haymitch a lot, and I know exactly why he is drinking more than usual, but I'll make it up to him when we get back home. After all, we're going to be neighbors soon.

Instead, I focus my attention on what exactly I want to say to Cato once we reach my room. My heart jumps a little as I think of being alone in my room with Cato, but I quickly brush it away. I'm mad at him, I have to remind myself.

We reach my room and he closes the door behind him.

"What's going on, Katniss. Did I do something? Or say something wrong? Talk to me." The look on his face tells me that he is truly mystified at why I'm acting like this and that just angers me more.

"Really? You have no idea why I would be mad at you?" I spit out. I know I need to calm down a little. Yes, what he said was horrible, but I can feel my throat tightening and I know I won't be able to yell at him if I'm crying. "You compared yourself to Peeta. Like you and Peeta were in some kind of competition for my heart."

"What—? Oh, that. I was only saying that to get the crowd going. They really like it when I turn into an arrogant meat head. I honestly didn't even think about how it would make you feel. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well it made you look like a complete ass. You compared yourself to dead people. Mainly, the other guy I was supposed to be in love with, who you killed." I hiss before I can take back what I said.

"You're going to hold that against me forever, aren't you? What about the people you killed, Katniss? What about Marvel? And Glimmer? They were my friends in the arena. But I don't bring that up because I know you did it for the games. I thought that when you told Caesar that you knew I had to kill Peeta for the games, you were forgiving me. I thought you were understanding that I had to do it. And that I had a freaking mental breakdown after it. You of all people should understand that." There's resentment in his eyes and I know I shouldn't have brought up him killing Peeta. Especially since I had decided that I forgave him for it.

"Cato, wait." I say as he heads for my door. "I'm sorry. You're right. I was telling the truth at the interview. I do forgive you for it. I just—I don't know. I was upset and I said something completely stupid. That interview just brought up a lot of bad things. And I was angry even before you said that. I took it out on you and I'm sorry." I cannot believe I just said all of that to him. I never open up about my feelings. They must have given me a new heart or something while I was out.

The anger has drained from Cato's face, but the wary look he's giving me makes my heart hurt. "Why were you mad before?"

"I—I can't really explain it here. I'll tell you another time, after I think it out and everything." I stammer, hoping he gets the hint that what angered me is something that cannot be overheard by the Capitol. He seems to understand and nods.

"Okay. Well, today was eventful. I think I'm going to head to my room now." He says this almost coldly, and I think I've lost him. Before he can reach my door, I run up to it, coming between him and his exit.

"Cato, please. Don't go to sleep mad at me." I peek up at him, searching his eyes for a glimmer of hope that he's not mad at me.

"I just need some time to think." He says as he tries to push past me. But I don't let him. I stand my ground firmly and even though I know he could move me if he wanted to, he doesn't. "What do you want me to say? I'm not mad at you? Fine, you are forgiven. Now if you'll move—"he sounds exhausted, but I can't let him leave things like this.

"No. I'm not letting you leave until you forgive me." I brace myself for him to push me, but he doesn't. I see a sly grin forming on his face.

"Oh yeah, what are you going to do about it? I could throw you like a toothpick, princess." His cockiness has a hint of anger on it still, but I know that anger will leave soon. Old Cato is returning and I can tell I made the right choice by making him stay. I've shown him that he is important to me and it's exactly what he wanted.

"How do you think I made it out of the games? And don't call me princess, okay sweetie?" I throw back at him, my smile growing as I see him taking up my challenge.

"Well I know you didn't win it because of your strength." As he says this, he picks me up. As he's about to set me down next to the door, I latch onto him.

"Didn't think I'd make it easy on you, did I?" I smirk. "I told you, you aren't leaving until you forgive me. And I mean really forgive me."

"What if I say I have a way that you can repay me for those hurtful things you said?" I can hear the cunning edge in his voice and I know what he wants.

"Are you sure you want me to kiss you with the mouth that just insulted you?" I say confidently. This gets a laugh out of him.

"Who says I want to kiss that filthy mouth of yours?" He winks at me before leaning in. His lips are centimeters from mine and as I'm about to meet him the rest of the way, he whispers, "I want a lot more than just a little kiss."

My heart starts beating faster, and I think I know what he's insinuating. I try to think of other alternatives, but he _can't_ be talking about anything else. My cheeks go red, which gets him laughing harder. He has to sit down on my bed, still holding me, because he can't hold himself up any longer.

"Oh, you are so innocent. I know what you were thinking, you shameful girl! I meant that I wanted to spend the night with you. I think I might sleep better having you next to me. But if you're thinking what I _know_ you're thinking, I might not be safe in your bed!" He exclaims and set me next to him so he can double over with laughter.

I don't find this amusing, so I sit and glare at him and wait for him to notice. After about five minutes of him laughing loudly, he stops. With one look at my glower, his face becomes blank. Then I see him scrambling for some kind of explanation.

"Not that _that_ with you would be funny. I—I was just joking around with you." I can see the worry in his eyes and I have to keep myself from smiling. "I mean, if that's what you really want to do, I'm at your will." When I see his grin widen, I know he knows he already won me back.

"No, that's fine. I don't care if you sleep next to me. Just as long as you don't snore." I say as I nudge his arm with my elbow. I stand up and give him a quick peck on the cheek before I head to the bathroom to change into pajamas. I normally sleep in my underwear, but I couldn't possibly do that with Cato in my bed. Especially after that embarrassing conversation. I search in the dresser, looking through the clothes they've put in there for me. I finally find cotton shorts and a long t-shirt and decide that will have to do.

I go into the bathroom and shut the door, exhaling slowly. Cato is going to sleep in my bed. With me. All night. For some reason, I feel a flutter in my stomach and I think I'm going to throw up. But the throat tightening sensation never comes, and the flutter stays. I try to ignore it as I brush my teeth and wash all the ridiculous makeup off my face. I take my hair down and the long curls sprawl across my shoulders and down my back. I wish I could shower before bed and wash all this hair product out, but I don't trust showering with Cato in the other room. The thought makes me uneasy. I shake it out of my mind as I open the bathroom door.

Cato is already in my bed, and I breath in shakily, hoping he doesn't notice. I can see a pile of clothes next to the bed and hope he left something on.

"That's what you wear to bed?" He questions, and I contemplate telling him the truth but decide not to.

"Yes. Every night." I manage to say, but I can see the doubt in his eyes.

"Took you a while to find it." He states, mockingly. I ignore it and hop under the covers. I can feel his body heat and try to distance myself with him, but he moves closer. He's facing me, propped up on his elbows with a little smirk on his face.

"They must have moved it all around since last time I was here." I state, trying not to look him in the eyes. I know he'll see right through my lies.

"Well I hope you don't mind. I usually sleep naked, but since I'm sharing a bed with you, I left my underwear on." His grin gets even more mischievous and I turn away from him, pretending to yawn.

"I don't mind. Just stay on your side of the bed and I'll stay on mine." I mumble. It must not have been loud enough because he's still scooting closer to me. "Did you hear me?" I ask.

"I heard you. But I wanted to sleep in your bed so I could sleep next to you. Having you next to me relaxes me and all my bad thoughts go away. I have nightmares Katniss. I bet you do too. Trust me, I think this will help." As he says this, he pulls me from the edge of the bed to the middle, keeping his arm around my waist.

I close my eyes, praying for self-control. I can feel those perfectly chiseled abs pressing against my back and I try not to picture them in my head. But it's too late. I remember seeing Gale shirtless once, and I thought he was fit. But nothing compared to Cato's perfect, chest. Eight chiseled squares lead down to that perfect V formation that I know meets up with his underwear.

Stop it! I order myself. I can't be thinking about this while he's right next to me. He'll be able to tell. I'm about to turn around and ask him if he forgives me, but I can hear his breathing has slowed and there's a faint snoring in my ear. I nestle closer to him and realize just how much trouble I am getting myself into. Then I fall asleep quicker than I have ever fallen asleep in my life.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! I'm really glad you all are enjoying this story as much as I am! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! I tried to take a little more time with it, but my addiction to Lost has me multitasking! If I make any mistakes, just let me know! I tried to proof read it, but I always miss the little things! **

Chapter 6: Clarity

I wake up with a smile on my face. I feel more rested than I've ever felt in my life, and it feels amazing. I'm about to roll over to stretch, but then I feel the heat of the body pressing against my back. I can hear his steady breathing in my ear, the warmth of his breath blowing against my neck.

For a second, I lean into him and enjoy it. I'm tempted to turn my head so I can watch him sleep, remembering the moment I stepped into his hospital room. His face had looked so innocent and sweet.

I smile to myself, remembering my thoughts when I first saw him after the games. I thought he could only be sweet when he was sleeping. I compared the Cato from the games to this Cato lying behind me, his heavy arm draped over my waist. I now know how foolish that was. I mean, I'm sure I looked crazy, blood lust in my eyes.

And all this time I've blaming him, and treating him like the enemy. Sure, I've had my good moments with him where I've let my guard down. But I've had my guard up against him for way too long. I did the same with Peeta, and now I'll never have the chance to tell him how I really felt. I know I can't do this again. I have to let Cato in. As much as I loved Peeta, he's gone and I'm still here. I have to move forward with my life and make sure I learn from my mistakes.

I feel empowered, having decided to turn my life around. I can make sure the games affect me in a positive way. All of a sudden, I have a ton of energy. I can't lie in this bed any longer. I want to run and jump and scream a little.

Before I can stop myself, I roll over so I'm face to face with this beautiful boy I've come to know pretty well without actually knowing anything about him. My movement hasn't affected his sleeping, as his morning breath hits my face. Wow, his morning breath doesn't even stink. There must be something wrong with this perfect boy.

I try to shake him, but he doesn't budge.

"Cato, wake up." I whisper. Still, nothing. I say it louder. Nothing. I practically yell it at him, and _still_, nothing. He must be a really heavy sleeper. An idea pops in my head and I do it instantly. Before I even have a chance to rethink it, my lips are pressing against Cato's, stopping his warm breath from hitting my face any longer.

At first, all I feel is the pressure coming from my lips, but then slowly I can feel his lips reacting. His arm tightens around my waist, pulling me tight against his warm, taut body. I remember he's in his underwear and I almost pull away, feeling my cheeks burn slightly. But I shake it off, the feeling of this kiss is just way too good to pass up.

Instead, I press my hands against his bare chest, feeling my way down his abs and around his waist. I close any sort of gap between us, and notice his kissing has gotten even harder. The hunger I feel in my chest is being reciprocated by his, and we're scrambling to try to get even closer, even though it isn't physically possible.

I grind my hips into his and he rolls me under him. His kisses are getting a little sloppy as he makes his way down my neck, nibbling on my ear lobe, and then making his way back to my waiting mouth. The pressure he's putting on my hips is a little uncomfortable, so I try to shift my body to be on top of his.

I didn't realize we were so close to the edge until we fall off. I hear the thump of his back hitting the ground before I feel myself land on top of him. We stop kissing and there's a moment of silence before he bursts out laughing. His laugh is deep and full, and it's almost like he can't stop. I start laughing too, and my laugh becomes uncontrollable.

Tears fall down my cheeks and I'm still laughing. It's getting harder to breathe and I can feel my abs tightening as I gasp for air. We laugh for what seems like hours, but I'm sure is only a few minutes. I roll off of him, so that we're laying side by side. We calm down and sit there for a while. Then I glance at him and see he's staring at me.

"Well that was a great start to my morning." He chuckles as I lean over to smack him on the arm. "Hey! What was that for?" He exclaims, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"You're teasing me! I didn't mean to roll off the bed." I say, trying my best to look at him sheepishly, when really I'm not embarrassed at my attempt to be seductive. It worked, for the most part. He responded exactly how I had hoped.

"I was being serious! If I got woken up like that every day, I'd never have a bad day again." He grins, turning towards me. "What has gotten into you? Last night, you demanded I sleep as far away from you as possible." The twinkle in his eyes tells me he's happy with my newfound decisions, even though I haven't told him what they are yet.

"I don't know. I've just been thinking." I say, purposely being vague.

"Oh yeah, about what?" He raises his eyebrows, grinning wider. I realize he's thinking about a whole different thing than I am, and I have to laugh.

"You're so full of yourself! I was not thinking about you—you know." I glance down at his now exposed torso. "Didn't you just lecture me about thinking things like that last night?" I laugh, trying to cover how red my cheeks have gotten.

He laughs again, then his cocky smile returns. His eyes look straight into mine. "Then what exactly were you thinking about? I need to know these things so I can remind you every day. I like being woken up like this." He gestures to the mess of blankets, wrapped around our legs, still tucked into part of the bed.

"Oh, you know. The meaning of life. That kind of thing." I say, shrugging.

"Fine." He pouts. "Don't answer me. I'll just torture you until you tell me."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" I challenge, and almost wish I didn't. Before I know it, he's on top of me and tickling me. Within seconds, I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe. Tears are again running down my cheeks and I think how great this morning is already turning out. Crying from laughing twice in one morning sounds like a good start to my day. I beg him to stop, but he keeps going until I swear between bursts of trying to breathe and stop laughing that I'll tell him everything if he stops.

"Okay, I stopped. Now speak. Every detail." He says, still on top of me, threatening to start again if I don't comply.

"I can't talk with you sitting on me like this." I wheeze out, still out of breath. He sighs, getting off of me. I can see his chest move up and down, knowing he's out of breath too. He stretches a little and I see his lean muscles ripple. Thank god he doesn't notice how steadily I'm gazing at his body as he bends down to pull me up.

We both make our way to the couch facing the window in my room. He leans back, looking at me expectantly. I sit down cross legged, facing him. I'm trying to think of how to start, when I realize how lame it all sounds now. But I told him I would tell him, and I told myself I would let him in. So I take a deep breath, and hope it doesn't come out as stupid as it sounds in my head.

"Well, when I woke up this morning, I realized how drastically my views on you have changed. Like I said last night, I know you had to kill Peeta for the games. I killed people too and I know I shouldn't have held it against you. I also realized that when Peeta was alive, I shut him out. I never even let myself have feelings for him. Or, rather, I had feelings for him but wouldn't let myself even think about those feelings. Now it's too late to tell him how I felt, to let him know I loved him back. I should have let him in, but I didn't because I was stupid and I thought we had time. Actually, I was afraid that we wouldn't have enough time. And I don't want to be afraid anymore. I've been trying so hard to keep hating you, but I can't. You're nothing like I thought you were like back in the games and I'm sorry I made such horrible assumptions about you." I exhale, relieved to let it all out. I raise my eyes to see his reaction and that jerk is grinning at me! He sits there for a few minutes before I finally lose my patience. "What the hell is so funny, Cato? I was trying to open up and you're making fun of me again!" Exasperated, I turn away from him to pout.

He grabs my shoulder and yanks me back towards him. "I'm smiling at you because you're finally acting like a normal person, you nut job." I look at him suspiciously. "I'm serious. I'm not trying to make fun of you. I'm welcoming you to normalcy." He tries to stick his arm around my shoulders and pull me into a hug, but I don't let him. I know he's not making fun of me, but I like making him squirm. His lack of confidence when I get mad at him makes me feel empowered.

"Oh come on! I thought you said you were going to let me in! This doesn't look like letting me in. Hey, if you forgive me I'll let you touch my abs again. I know you've been dreaming about them since you saw me get out of the shower yesterday." I turn in time to see his cheesy grin, and I sock him in the arm playfully.

"There you go again, being ridiculously full of yourself. How do you know I haven't seen better?" I shoot back at him, grinning.

"See? That's the Katniss I like! Except you really should stop lying to yourself. I'm the best you'll ever see, babe." And with that, he flexes his arms and chest, kissing his bulging biceps. I shake my head at him, laughing. "Impressive, isn't it?" He says, looking at me knowingly.

"Oh, shut up already. You just wish I was that into you. I bet if I were in my underwear instead of you, you wouldn't even be able to put a sentence together." I stick my tongue out at him.

"Wanna bet?" He challenges. "Not that you will. You're too modest to walk around in your underwear in front of other people."

"Am not! I just don't want to show you up. It's not nice." I smirk, thinking my excuse worked.

"Well let's see if you're right. Take it off, sweetheart. I bet I can carry on a full conversation with you while—"

There's a knock on the door, interrupting his last challenge.

"Yes?" I call out, wondering who it could be.

"Katniss?" I hear Effie's shrill voice. "Do you know where Cato is? He wasn't in his room this morning."

Cato and I look at each other, trying to stifle our laughter.

"Nope!" I shout back. "What am I, his keeper?"

"You don't have to be rude. I just thought since you two seemed extra close last night, you might have seen him." Oh gosh, she's hinting that we slept together. Like the non-sleeping kind of sleeping together. My cheeks turn red as Cato chuckles silently. "Are you decent? I wanted to come discuss the schedule for today with you."

My eyes get wide and I look at Cato, panicking. I point towards the bathroom and shoo him into it. He looks at me, a playful hurt in his eyes. But he silently obeys, and when the bathroom door is shut, I call for Effie to come in.

"Well, took you long enough. And I don't know if I would consider _that_ decent." She huffs. "Since you spent so long in the hospital, the Victory tour schedule is not normal. Tonight will be the banquet for the victors. Tomorrow we're heading straight to District one for the start of the tour. We won't be allowed to spend much time at any of the districts though. Some of them are dangerous territory, so we may be skipping a few districts, depending on how things go the next few days."

"What do you mean?" I interrupt, confused.

"Oh, I'm not really sure. I was just informed that we are going to be skipping District 11 because of an issue going on in that town. There must be some kind of bug going around or something. Anyways, your prep team will be here in a few hours to make you presentable. And if you see Cato," she glances around the room and I realize his clothes are still in a pile by my bed, "let him know the plan." I nod. She turns to leave, but not without one more glance around my room. I don't think she's spotted his clothes, but I can't be sure.

Before the door even has a chance to shut all the way, Cato bursts out of the bathroom, laughing. I run over to him and clamp my hand over his mouth, hoping Effie didn't hear. The door shuts and I turn around to face him, slowly taking my hand off his mouth.

"That was a close call, huh sweet cheeks?" He chuckles.

"I know. She almost caught you in here. Not that we would get in trouble or anything. I don't think it's against the rules."

"That isn't what I meant." He hints, his smile growing as he sees the red making its way into my cheeks again.

"I—I don't know what you're talking about." I state. Maybe if I play dumb, he'll drop it.

"I'll take that as a win for me." He laughs.

"No. It's not a win for you." I say as I rip off my pajamas quickly. I'm in my underwear and I feel so exposed, but I'm determined to win this one.

His jaw drops for a second as he looks me up and down. Then he smiles as he reaches my face. "Didn't think you had it in you. But I must say, I'm impressed."

"Stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat, Cato." I warn. I knew this wasn't a good idea and now I'm beginning to feel self-conscious. I know my body looks great. The fullness of my chest has come back since the games. The rest of me has filled back up to normal size as well. But still, the way he's looking at me worries me, and I almost wish I let him win.

"Oh, don't pretend you didn't look at me the same way." He sneers, still grinning at me.

"Well, I think I proved you wrong. You can't even keep your eyes on my face."

"Actually, the argument was over whether I could hold a conversation with you, which I am. So I think I win."

"What exactly do you think you win?" I ask, avoiding the fact that I know he's right.

"I get to choose what I win?" He playfully looks up, like he's thinking really hard.

"I didn't say that. I asked what you think you get."

"Can I win a kiss?" He asks, trying to pretend he's being shy.

"If you're asking, no." I tease him.

"What if I'm not asking?" He challenges.

"Well then I can't really tell you know, can I?" And with that, he grabs me and pulls me close. Before he even brings his lips down on mine, I can tell it was a mistake to press my bare stomach against his. I'm a lot shorter than him, so it's more like my bare stomach against his underwear. But still, I have just noticed how nice those layers of clothing between us were. I miss them. But I can't help but push myself even closer, enveloping myself in his warmth.

When his lips finally press down on mine, the hunger in my body explodes, and I'm kissing him harder and stronger than I've ever kissed before. I need his kisses like I need air. My hands move up and down his bare chest, memorizing each dip between his abs, all the way up to his chest, then to the sharp angle of his jaw. He's doing the same to me, learning my back and my shoulders and my neck, all with his hands.

It seems like we've only been kissing for a few seconds, but I know it's been much longer. I start to feel dizzy, my knees having gone weak long ago. I hate the feeling I get in my gut when I talk myself into pulling away from him, but I know if I don't pull away soon, I'm going to pass out from the lack of oxygen.

When I pull away, I can feel the disappointment in his breath, but he's breathing just as heavily as I am and I know I made the right choice. He never would have stopped, and I feel good knowing I have more self-control than him.

He smiles at me. "I think I might have to win a little more. This is the best prize I've ever gotten." I try to ignore his hips rubbing against me, not quite at my hips, but closer to my waist. He's trying to seduce me into kissing him again, but I know better. I pull completely away from him and head for the bathroom.

"Don't count on it." I call back. "The prep team is going to be here pretty soon. You better head back to your room before they come looking for you again." I'm smiling, knowing he's smiling back at me. Through the closed bathroom door, I can hear the door to my room close and I almost wish I didn't make him go so soon. But then I remember that kiss we just shared and I'm glad he left. My emotions are all over the place and I need to take a shower and sort through them.

The hot water on my back seems too hot, especially after that steamy kiss that I'm still suffering side effects from. So I turn it to cool and it feels much better. Now, time to unjumble the emotions swirling around in my head.

I have decided to trust Cato. Yes.  
I want to be friends with Cato. Also a yes.  
I have feelings for Cato. I'm not sure.  
Cato and I have something amazing between us. Yes, but I don't even know what it is.  
I'm ridiculously attracted to Cato. Yes, yes, yes.  
Then why do I still feel guilty? Peeta.

My heart sinks a little when I think of Peeta. Sweet, loving Peeta. The boy who saved my life with a simple loaf of bread. The boy who loved me for all my faults, who saw through those faults to something beautiful. I didn't deserve his love. I didn't give him the love he deserved.

So my guilt is easily identified, but knowing this doesn't set my mind to ease. As much as I like Cato now, he'll never be Peeta. What if I never stop feeling guilty for feeling this way about Cato?

Why did Peeta have to be so dang perfect anyways? Why couldn't he be a jerk? Cato isn't perfect. Cato can definitely be a jerk.

I know my feelings for them are completely different, and I shouldn't feel guilty for moving forward with my life. But is it too soon? Peeta died a little over two months ago. But to me, it felt like a few days ago. I realize I haven't really cried for Peeta since I've been fully awake. What is wrong with me? I mean, I went crazy every time they woke me up before, but if I don't remember it, does it count?

Trying to sort through my emotions sucks. I give up, promising myself to try again later. As I step out of the shower, I hear rustling in my room, along with a giggly conversation going on. Instead of getting dressed, I put on a robe. Knowing my prep team, they'll strip me down anyways. With them, I'm used to being exposed, so the uncomfortable feeling as basically gone away. I step out into my room and they all look up.

"We're training her so well! She even showered for us! Hopefully that means a little less scrubbing later!" Octavia squeals, running over me to see if I washed my hair, which I didn't.

"Don't expect too much, Octavia. You know she doesn't take care of that beautiful hair of hers." Flavius states, opening up boxes and containers full of makeup and laying them out on my bed. Venia is busily unpacking all of the things they use to scrub, wax and pluck me, making her way into the bathroom.

"Follow me, dear." Venia says over her shoulder. I follow obediently. Soon, Octavia and Flavius come in and the primping begins. It takes a lot longer today to get me ready for this party. It's a formal celebration and they need to make sure I look absolutely perfect.

I bet Cato is already done, I think crossly. It should be illegal to look that good and need such little amount of preparation. They're spending hours on me to make me perfect, and I bet his prep team just made him shower and maybe put a little bit of makeup on to hide any blemishes, not that I've seen any. And I've been pretty up close and personal with his face lately, so I would know.

Even after the perfect night's sleep I had, I'm exhausted by the time Cinna comes in with my dress. I can tell its long, hopefully it isn't heavy. I don't think I could hold it up. I wonder how long Cato has been done now. He's probably taking a nap. I'm starting to despise him and his good looks.

But Cinna smiles at me knowingly. "You look exhausted, Katniss. But I brought you something special. Want to see it?" I nod, excited. I love seeing everything Cinna has created for me. As he unzips the bag, a silky yellow fabric flows out. I'm a little confused, but when I put it on, I see what he has made me. The dress is long; I know I'll have to wear heels not to trip over it. The silky fabric rests perfectly on my body, accentuating my curves. I notice the fabric starts out light yellow and faintly fades until it is almost the same color orange as the dress from the interview.

"A sunrise." I whisper. Cinna nods.

"It symbolizes a new day. You of all people could use a new start." I hug him, thankful that I have him by my side. His brilliant designs make me look more than beautiful, I look stunning.

Before I can say anything else, Effie bursts in.

"Let's Go Go Go! You took longer than we planned! We don't want to be late to a celebration for you now, do we?" Effie says shrilly.

Cinna gives me one more quick hug before handing me off to Effie, who drags me through the suite. I'm stumbling in my heels, but she doesn't seem to care. We go straight into the elevator and I wonder where Cato is. He's probably been at the party for an hour. I almost feel ashamed that it took them so long to prep me. But then when we get to the car, I'm glad I did.

Cato is standing there, waiting for me. He looks so spectacular, wearing a yellow suit matching my dress. His features look even more striking than usual, although it doesn't look like they put any makeup on him. I'm also glad they put me in heels this time. Now, the top of my head reaches his chin, and I feel better standing next to him. I don't feel quite as small, even though I'm pretty sure he could still crush me in a hug in a second. He looks up and our eyes meet; my heart skips a beat, or two. His smile looks so beautiful and genuine; I can't help but send a huge smile back at him.

It feels like forever before I reach him. Much too long, I think. When I finally get to him, his arms go straight to waist. I expect him to pull me in for a hug, but instead he's holding me out, like he's inspecting me.

"You look—there aren't even words to describe how beautiful you look right now." He says, breathless. My heart skips another beat. I'm about to open my mouth to compliment him, but he beats me to it. "I know, I look pretty amazing too." His cocky grin replaces the genuine one and I shake my head at him, laughing. Although I pretend that his cockiness annoys me, I don't think it will ever get old.

I don't want to stand an arm's length from him any longer, so I wrap my arms around his waist. I can still feel the tightness of his body, through the layers of his suit. He hugs me back, tighter, and plants a kiss on my forehead.

It's like we haven't seen each other in days, maybe even weeks. But in reality, we just saw each other a few hours ago; and a lot of each other at that. Thinking back to this morning, my cheeks flush. Cato notices and gives me a quizzical stare. I just shrug like it was nothing.

What happens next happens so fast, I don't even see it coming. All I see is Cato's facial expression change from happy to worried in a matter of seconds, then he pushes me to the ground. I feel my elbow smack the concrete hard, and I think it may be broken. I look up at Cato, confused and hurt, but what I see makes my whole body go cold. Cato is standing above me, barely. There's a red mark right where I know his six pack starts, and its growing quickly.

_Blood._ Then he collapses, on top of me, as I scream for help. Cato has been shot.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, subscriptions, favorites, etc.! I'm sorry I left you all with a horrible cliffhanger, but I just had to keep you on your toes! ;) I'm warning you now; there will be more cliffhangers in the future of this story! This chapter is a little shorter, but my attention span today has been shorter than a goldfish's and I promised I would update. Hope you still enjoy it anyways! Keep being amazing!**

Chapter 7

I'm numb. People rush around me, but I don't move. I don't even blink. I just sit there, staring into space. I try to straighten up my memory of what happened, but it's like I'm missing all of the major pieces to the puzzle.

Cato pushes me to the ground. Cato gets shot. That's it. Brutus and a few other men chase after whoever shot him, but I don't know whether or not they found the person. I shiver runs down my spine. What if the shooter got away?

I replay what I saw over and over, and I come to a horrible realization. Cato saw the shooter. He pushed me out of the way. That bullet was meant for me. It would have pierced my heart perfectly. Whoever shot at us knew what they were doing.

Cato took a bullet for me. And now I don't even know if he's going to live. Tears run down my face. I know by now I look like a wreck, but I don't care. I just want to wake up from this and realize it's just another one of my nightmares.

It would be my luck. I finally decide to let my guard down for someone, and he gets shot trying to save me! If I would have just treated him like dirt and pushed him away like I normally do, this never would have happened. I would have gotten shot and Cato would still be perfectly healthy. I cry harder, but push away Haymitch's arm as he tries to comfort me.

It feels like I've been in this waiting room forever. I have refused to move since we got here. Effie has tried to get me to change into different clothes, as my dress is covered in Cato's blood. But I can't move. Haymitch tries to get me to eat or drink something, but I know if I try to cram something down my throat, it will just come right back up. Brutus, who showed up a few hours after we did, is quiet, but is angrily pacing across the waiting room from me. Enobaria keeps trying to calm him down, but he won't sit still.

A doctor comes in, searching for who he's supposed to speak to about Cato's current status. Since we got here, only nurses would come out every hour or so to let us know that they're still working on him. Now that the doctor is out here, maybe it means they're finally done. I jump up from my chair to get his attention and he walks over to me.

Once he's standing in front of me, I realize how big of a mistake I may have just made. What if he came out here to tell me Cato didn't make it? My knees weaken and I almost fall to the ground, but an arm catches me and holds me upright. I glance next to me, surprised to see Effie holding me up. I take a deep breath, struggling to stay calm as I wait for the doctor to speak.

"Katniss, right? The good news is, he's stable. We managed to repair the damage done to his organs. We're going to keep him unconscious for the night, to help with the pain. But he should recover fairly quickly. The bad news is, he won't be dancing anytime soon. Although we did a great job repairing the damages done and he will recover fairly quickly, he needs to take it easy for a few weeks."

My heart speeds up. Cato is going to be alright. "Can I see him?" I ask.

"Well, he's asleep right now—"

"I don't care. I want to be with him." I interrupt.

The doctor sighs, thinking about it for a few minutes. "I guess it couldn't hurt. Follow me."

When he leads me to Cato's room, I stop and take a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever lies behind that door. Seeing Cato asleep on that hospital bed sends waves of relief through my body. I can see his chest moving up and down. His face looks angelic as ever; peaceful, even. I have to stop myself from running to his bedside and jumping in bed with him.

Instead, I grab a chair and drag it next to him, grabbing his hand in mine. I stare at him until I fall asleep. Even after everything that has happened, I can sleep soundly knowing he's alive and sleeping right by my head.

"Katniss." I hear a voice, and thinking it's just part of a dream, I don't stir. But then someone is shaking my shoulder and I look up, groggy.

"Wow. You look horrible." I hear a laugh and my eyes shoot open. Cato is right there, staring me right in the eyes. His grin looks weak, but still as cocky as ever.

"You don't look too hot yourself." I spit back, smiling and knowing how big of a lie that his. At least they cleaned him up a bit. I still have Cato's blood all over my dress, my cheek, even in my hair. My elbow has been throbbing and it is beyond swollen now. I can't even move it. I had refused to let anyone look at me, and I almost wish I didn't. But Cato being alive and well took my thoughts off my own pain for a while and I didn't even realize it was there until just now.

Cato notices the grimace on my face as I try to move my elbow. Without a second thought, he takes out his morphling drip and shoves it into my arm. I glare at him, trying to take it out, but he won't let me.

"Cato, you need this more than I do." I insist.

"I did that to you, Katniss. I pushed you down and broke your elbow." Emotion rushes to his eyes and I can see that he's blaming myself.

"Are you kidding me, Cato? If you hadn't pushed me, I wouldn't even be alive to complain about a little pain in my elbow." I say, trying to comfort him, but it only makes him upset.

"No. I should have done it differently. I didn't need to shove you so hard. I just didn't think." His grip tightens on my hand and I squeeze back. I can't believe he's blaming himself for my broken elbow. It's nothing compared to his gunshot wound.

But it's no use arguing with him, so I change the mood. "Well, you shouldn't feel bad because I forgive you. But the doctor told me about the bad news. Looks like we won't be able to dance at our party." I grin up at him and he grins back.

"I really wanted to dance with you though. I mean, I probably would have stomped all over those pretty little feet of yours, but at least I could hold you close to me the whole night."

"Yeah right. Haven't you seen clips from those celebrations? The victor has to shake hands with every single person in the room. There's not even enough time to pee, let alone dance." I say, smiling at him. "But I'll take you up on that dancing offer, as soon as you're better. My feet are tough, I think I can handle a little stomp or two."

"Only if you let them take a look at your elbow. Right now." He insists. But I shake my head.

"I'll have them look at it when you go to sleep. I don't want to leave you here alone." I say, leaning closer to him.

"Well I just pushed the button, so the nurse will be here any second. She can at least make sure you're okay." He says with a grin on his face. I just sigh and lean my head on his shoulder. He brings his free hand up to my head, running his fingers through my hair. This little gesture makes me want to cry. I never would have felt him do this if he would have died. His life was in danger because of me. Someone tried to shoot me, but shot Cato instead.

A thought pops into my head. Who would try to shoot me? Snow hates us, but we've done everything we possibly can to make people think we're in love. Why would he try to take my life secretly anyways? If he wanted me dead, he could execute me in front of everyone as the example he thinks I am. But if it wasn't Snow, who else could it be? An angry family member of one of the tributes we killed? That seems highly unlikely. They wouldn't even be allowed in the Capitol. Cato notices the confused look on my face.

"What's going through your mind? I didn't mean it when I said you looked horrible. My blood looks pretty good on you." I ignore that last part, making a mental note to change my clothes as soon as he passes out. They've got to have something lying around here. Maybe Effie will bring me something to wear. But she'd probably bring me something frilly. Maybe I'll ask Haymitch instead.

"Who do you think shot at us?" I blurt out, my thoughts racing, trying to think of who I've made enemies with lately. I'm not really a lovable person, so I'm sure the list is pretty long.

The door opens and in comes a nurse. "I don't know. But we'll talk about it later." Cato says and then he turns to the nurse and addresses her. "Hi. Could you possibly check out her elbow? I pushed her down last night and she smashed it against the ground. She's too stubborn to leave me, so you'd have to do it here." He shrugs, as if he thinks I'm requesting an orange elephant that juggles puppies.

"Sure, now let's take a look." She says, and begins to examine my elbow. I refuse to let go of Cato's hand. This comes in handy when she tries to move my elbow and I grimace in pain, squeezing his hand. Apparently the pain killers haven't really kicked in yet. She shakes her head. "We're going to have to bring a doctor in to set it. You may even need surgery. You definitely shattered it." And before I can tell her I don't need a surgery, she's walking out of the room.

I look at Cato, who can see the annoyance in my face. He laughs and rolls his eyes at me. "You know, you don't have to act so tough. I like you just the way you are."

"I'm not acting tough. I'm being a big baby. I am not leaving you. I don't care what they say. Until you are better, I'm not leaving your side." I say firmly, which only makes him laugh harder. He has to stop, clutching his side in pain. I stop, my eyes growing wide. I try to take the painkiller out of my arm and shove it back into his, but he shakes his head.

"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt that bad." He says, trying not to wince.

"You're such a bad liar. Let me give it back to you. I'm sure they'll give me my own when they come in to fix my elbow." I reassure him as I slide the needle out of my arm sneakily. He doesn't even notice when I shove it back into his arm until after it's done. I look up at him triumphantly, but he just shakes his head at me and laughs.

When the doctor comes in, he confirms that I need surgery. I beg him to wait, but he says it needs to be done now, before it begins healing the wrong way. I make them promise me to take me back to Cato's room as soon as the surgery is done. Before I leave, I lean over Cato, making sure not to touch his torso in any way. I drop my face so its inches from his, and I wait there, teasing him for a few seconds, knowing he can't get close enough to kiss me. Then I press my lips down on his gently, almost too soft to feel because I'm worried if I kiss him any harder, the passion will take over and I'll end up hurting him. "I'm glad you're okay." I whisper before I turn around and head out the door to be prepped for surgery.

When I wake up from my surgery, I'm still pretty groggy. I look up at the clock and realize I was only out for about an hour or so. I look around, panicking until I lay my eyes on Cato's innocent sleeping face. I smile, but then I frown, realizing how far I am away from him. I try to get out of bed, but I'm a little more out of it than I thought. I fall and make a loud clatter as my bed falls with me. Thank goodness I land on my good side, and I don't feel like I hurt anything else, except maybe a bruise or two on my hip bone.

I hear a gasp and I look up, seeing Cato trying to get out of bed.

"Stop." I shout. "I'm fine. I just didn't realize how slippery the floor was. I'm going to come sit next to you." I get up, trying not to use my hurt arm, and I stumble across the room to his bed. He scoots over and pats the bed next to him. I shake my head. "No, it's fine. I can sit in the chair again." I say, looking for the chair I was in earlier. It's back against the wall and I contemplate how I'm going to move it with one arm. But before I can figure it out, Cato is grabbing my arm and pulling me on the bed.

His huge body is taking over most of the bed, so I give into his pull and try to slip into it as gently as I can. I have to lie on my side, so my body is curved against the side of his. He wraps his arm around me, holding me there. "There! That's much better. I missed you." He says, closing his eyes and grinning.

"I was just in here an hour ago." I state, looking up at him with my eyebrow raised.

"I meant you being right next to me. I missed my arm being around you. The whole way to the hospital, I was worried about never getting to snuggle with you again." His smile is genuine, and makes me smile back. He kisses my forehead and we lay there for a while, just feeling each other breathe. I notice his breathing is slowing, and I focus on making mine match his.

The next thing I know, I can hear people whispering. Cato seems to still be sleeping, so I try not to move. Instead, I try to listen in on the conversation going on in our room. I think I hear Brutus, but I can't quite be sure. I've only hear him speak a few times since I've met him, and his voice isn't very distinctive. Its deep and manly, but there's nothing that stands out about it. The other voice is Haymitch's. I can tell instantly. Not to mention I can smell the booze from here.

I strain my ears to listen, but I can only pick up a few words. The first voice, who I can safely assume is Brutus, is saying something about how they need to catch someone, how he should have been able to catch the person that night. He must be talking about the person who shot Cato. My blood turns cold. They didn't catch the shooter. That means our attempted murderer is still out there somewhere, waiting for us. Haymitch isn't as hushed as Brutus, but he's slurring his words pretty bad. I decide I have to know what they're talking about.

So I stretch a little, and when they don't notice, I clear my throat. The two of them glance up at me, and then look back at each other. Brutus nods and then Haymitch leaves. Brutus pulls the chair up to the bed. "Wake Cato. There are things you both need to know, and it will be easier to tell you at once." I do as I'm told. Cato looks around, wide eyed and confused. Then he sees me and smiles. He's about to say something when I move my eyes towards Brutus, and his follow.

"Brutus." He nods, accepting his presence.

"Okay you two. I want you to know we tried to catch the shooter, but they got away too fast. We're still looking out for that bastard, and when we find him, there will be no mercy. But until then, you two need to go into hiding. The nurse and doctor that have been taking care of you are under strict rules not to let anyone know that you survived. According to our story, Cato died in the operating room and Katniss is going to commit suicide in the hospital. There isn't going to be a Victory tour, not like there was much of one planned anyways. Half of the districts were off limits due to rebellion. It seems you two were the cause of it. They figure the 'alliance' you two made in the games was to stick it to the Capitol and they are trying to support you. Both of you had mental breakdowns, which leaked to the public, feeding the rebels with more hatred for the Capitol and their games. This being said, there were rebel groups long before you two were even thought of. They've just been lying dormant until now. We're taking you to one of their bunkers. You'll be safe there until we figure out what is going on." Brutus stops, looking at us to make sure we understand everything.

"What do you mean, figure out what's going on? Wouldn't someone who is against the rebels want to shoot us?"

"It's a possibility. But if President Snow wanted you dead, he wouldn't have to hide it." I nod, knowing we're on the same page.

"Then who-?" Cato says, but the door opens, and we all become silent. Effie glides in, making her way right to our bedside.

"Are you two ready to go? The train will be at the station shortly, and we need to make sure we get on it as quickly as possible." She says, not looking directly at us.

"You're coming with us, Effie?" I ask, surprised.

Effie turns and glares at Brutus, before answering me. "I'm being taken against my will. They don't believe that I won't say anything about you two." She huffs.

Brutus growls. "You know that isn't why. We're taking you for your own safety. If it is Snow going after them, he will torture you for answers. Do you want that?" He's a little too harsh and Effie winces before shaking her head and making her way out the door. I almost feel bad for her. I believe that she wouldn't say anything to harm us, but I also believe that Brutus could be right. And if taking Effie with us keeps her safe, I'm all for it. As annoying as she's been since the day of the reaping when she read Prim's name off that little slip of paper, I would hate for her to suffer on account of something they think I did.

"You heard the lady. Let's get a move on." Brutus says as he helps me out of bed. Cato gets himself up, slower than I like. I can tell he's in pain, and the pain is only going to get worse as the medicine starts wearing off. We quickly dress and we're rushed towards the back of the hospital. We step out under a structure, and a car is waiting for us. It's less conspicuous than the car we've been using to take us from place to place, but a car is pretty noticeable regardless. We take back roads to the train station, and when we get there, there's a small train waiting for us. It has the symbol for District 12 on it, and my heart flutters a little. The back two cars look like they have recently dropped off coal, and there are only three passenger cars.

When we arrive, Haymitch goes in first, followed by Effie. They place Cato and I right after them, closely followed by Brutus and Enobaria. I look around, hoping to see Cinna, but there isn't a soul in sight. It looks to be around 4:00am, and no Capitol citizen would be out at this time.

The entrance car is small, there is only a few small couches and a miniature kitchen. The other two cars contain four rooms, each with a tiny bathroom attached.

Brutus and Enobaria volunteer to share a room. It seems that all these years of mentoring have brought them close together. I almost wish Haymitch had a partner to help him through mentoring us poor, pathetic District 12 kids.

Cato volunteers to share a room with me, his grin spreading as he grabs my hand, ready to lead me to a room. Effie sighs, relieved that she doesn't have to share a room with Haymitch.

"Awe, Sweetheart. You don't want to share a room with me? I thought we were becoming pretty good friends." Haymitch hollers, waggling his eyebrows wildly. Effie lifts up her nose in disgust and walks silently to the last room on the train. Cato leads us to the room next to hers and I realize just how small it is.

The bed is barely bigger than the beds at the hospital. There is a small dresser, butted up against the window, barely leaving room to squeeze open the door to the bathroom. This is definitely not a Capitol train. The carpet looks warn, and even the bedding looks like it's had its fair share of bodies sleeping in it. I'm almost afraid to see the condition of the bathroom. The window is so dirty, it's basically impossible to make out the landscape passing quickly past us. It's funny how critical I am about this train, even though it is _still_ in better shape than my house at the seam.

Cato is about to plop onto the bed before he remembers his wounds. He instead slowly lowers down his body onto the bed, sliding himself so he is leaning back slightly. He closes his eyes and exhales deeply. When I don't follow, he opens one eye to look at me, and then the other. "Aren't you tired? We may as well get some rest. Who knows where they're taking us." I walk around the bed to the other side and gently slide next to him. He wraps his strong arms around me and before his breathing gets really slow, he whispers in my ear. "Now don't try and ambush me in the morning. I don't think seducing me will be easy with the giant hole in my side." I feel a pang of guilt, but when I look up, his eyes are shut but his smile is wide.

Soon after that, I fall asleep in his arms. Wherever we're going, I know I'll have him with me. I'm thankful that I wasn't the only victor in this year's games, even if it's causing a lot of trouble all around Panem. Who would have thought two mentally unstable people could set fire to a rebellion. I smile for a moment, thinking we may be able to change something. But then I think of my family, and Cato's, and not even having Cato next to me can stop the nightmares I'm bound to have.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! Sorry it took me an extra day to update! Yesterday was super busy, and I was beyond drained when I finally got home last night. But I promise, this chapter will be worth the wait! I wrote it all out, then changed my mind and had to rewrite it. Oh, and all you super smart reviewers, stop giving away the plot before I have a chance to write it :P Enjoy! **

Chapter 8: The Rebels

Haymitch lets us know we're about to get off the train. He gives us backpacks and tells us to fill them with whatever we can. We don't have much time, so I just grab a few empty canteens, a change of clothes, a small blanket, and some small packets of food. Cato does the same, and we wait by the door with the rest of our group.

When the train stops, there is no station. I look around, confused, no one else seems to notice. Haymitch steps off the train, then turns to help Effie down. We rode for what seemed like a full day, and now it is pitch black again. But I can still see Effie's eyes are puffy from crying and she doesn't look like her normal, kept self. She's wearing the same outfit she wore yesterday, but instead of heels, she has plain brown boots on. She seems to not be able to get her bearings without being in six inch heels, so Haymitch helps her move along the side of the train before turning back to help us.

When I step down, I can hardly make out the army of trees completely surrounding us. I'm relieved, knowing I can survive in the woods with ease.

Brutus and Enobaria follow silently behind us. With Haymitch in the lead, I realize he must be completely sober. The only crashing I hear in front of me is from Effie, who can't seem to control the heaviness of her footsteps in the oversized boots. Where is Haymitch taking us? I wonder, wrapping my arms around myself as we walk, trying to comfort myself in the darkness. I should be used to walking through the woods at night, having done it most of my life, but this feels eerie.

We follow what was once a path but is now pretty overgrown with roots and bushes. I trip quite a few times before Cato decides to grab my hand and help lead me through the darkness. He seems to be able to see every little root jutting out from the ground, and maneuvers me around it with ease.

I feel ashamed, knowing I should be able to do that too. But I have so much on my mind that I can't even function well enough to do something I normally do with ease. But I shake my head. I know none of these people care if I trip or not. They aren't judging how quietly I can walk. All of us have so much on our minds, it's a wonder we're all still walking in a tight line.

No one speaks. All I can hear is the crunching of our feet as we walk, and every now and then a sob from Effie. I have no idea where Haymitch is leading us, but he seems to know exactly where he is going. Why would Haymitch know of this path? It isn't near a station, I can't even tell what district this is. The woods are similar to the woods back home, but they aren't my woods. At least, not the part that Gale and I frequently roam during our hunts. But if these are just a continuation of our woods at home, we must have passed District 12 on our way here. We must be somewhere between District 12 and District 13. It makes sense; most of the districts are separated by hundreds of miles, making it almost impossible to travel from one to another, unless by train.

We continue walking and I can see the sky changing from dark blue to purple, and then to a lighter blue, the sun beginning to make its way through the dense trees. All of us are exhausted, especially Effie. This is probably more walking than she's done in her entire life. And Cato is hurting pretty bad. He keeps letting go of my hand so he can clutch his wound, as if he's making sure he isn't bleeding. He winces when he has step high to get over a boulder or a fallen tree, and I wish there was something I could do.

I know Haymitch brought some medicine with us, but I'm almost afraid to break his concentration by asking him. So I stay silent, hoping we'll reach our destination soon.

The sun continues to rise, and by time Haymitch stops, I guess it to be around 9:00 in the morning. Effie plops down on a rock, her manners completely gone.

"Thank God we're stopping. I don't think I can walk much further in these wretched boots." She complains, taking them off to rub her small feet.

"Well you could have worn your fancy little heels, but I told you if you break your ankle on our hike, I'd leave you. Be glad I let you borrow a pair of boots." Haymitch grunts, leaning against the shade of a tree. "Is anyone thirsty? There's a small stream about a quarter mile from here, that way." He says, pointing to his left.

I look at Cato and he nods, pulling us in that direction. Effie calls out for us to bring some back to her and I can hear someone else running up behind us. I turn back, seeing Enobaria coming to join us. She catches up to us shortly, and we walk in silence to the water. When we find it, I have to stop myself from jumping into it and lying down. My body aches, and my elbow has been throbbing for the last couple miles or so. Damn, I forgot to ask Haymitch for the drugs for Cato. But he seems fine, a small smile forming as he bends over to scoop up some of the cold water, splashing it over his face. He sits down next to the stream, leaning back against the rock. I'm about to join him when Enobaria clears her throat.

"We shouldn't stay here too long. The others are still waiting for us." I nod in agreement and ask Cato for his pack. I fill up a few canteens, and snack on a granola bar as I help Cato back to his feet. We walk back quickly and as soon as we make it back to the spot where they're waiting for us, Effie jumps to her feet.

I hand her a canteen and she drinks it too fast, making herself throw up. She starts sobbing again and I almost comfort her. But instead, Haymitch is the one to do it. He pulls her down next to him and slowly feeds her half of a roll and then watches her, making sure she doesn't drink her water too fast.

This is such a weird sight for me; before the games, Effie and Haymitch could barely be in the same room together without drawing blood. Now, Haymitch has his arm around her and is trying to calm her down. I'm about to comment on it when I hear Brutus and Enobaria arguing.

I hadn't even realized that they were speaking, until they began to raise their voice at one another.

"Cut it out, you two." Haymitch calls over at them, and it only makes Enobaria angrier.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Haymitch Abernathy! If it weren't for you and your little tribute, we wouldn't even be in this mess!" Cato and I exchange confused looks as we look from Haymitch to Enobaria.

"Oh, don't even pretend this is my entire fault. Your killing machine over there could have done his job and we wouldn't be sitting here, having this conversation now, would we?" He spits back, gesturing at Cato.

"You know what your problem is, Haymitch? You have no one back home to care about you. You have nothing to lose by doing this. The rest of us have families waiting for us to come home. Families that Snow has probably already taken and is now torturing." I shiver, Cato pulls me closer and I can feel him shaking as well. Enobaria stops speaking, tears in her eyes, her voice cracking.

"I don't have any family back home." Effie says quietly. Then no one speaks for what seems like a long time.

"Well, we better get moving. We have a little bit further to go." Haymitch says, standing up and dusting himself off. He helps Effie to her feet and then begins to lead us further and further into the forest. We're heading in the opposite direction of the stream, which forms knots in my stomach. I remember almost dying of thirst during the games because I was too far from the only other water source besides the lake. But Haymitch seems to know where he's going, so I trust him.

Our walk ends as the stream turns into a small lake. Across from us, there is a waterfall. It's such a beautiful sight, I almost forget that there are other people with me as I run for the lake. But Haymitch holds his arm out, stopping me.

"Everyone stay put. I have to go let them know we're here." Haymitch says and begins walking around the lake towards the waterfall.

"Who is he talking about?" I ask out loud, although I'm not addressing it to anyone.

Brutus speaks up. "The rebels."

A chill runs down my spine, and I tuck myself under Cato's arm. He squeezes me closer, kissing my forehead. It's a wonder he's still standing upright. I'm sure his bullet wound is hurting worse than my elbow, which I have to try hard to ignore.

I watch as Haymitch ducks under the waterfall and into the darkness behind it. A few minutes later, he comes back out and waves at us to come. No one moves. So I step away from Cato, grabbing his hand. I grab Effie with my free hand and begin walking them towards Haymitch. I can hear Brutus speaking to Enobaria in hushed tones, I think he's talking her into coming.

When we make it to the side of the waterfall, I gasp. Behind the waterfall is the opening to a cave. Haymitch is standing there waiting, and behind him are four or five people, peeking out of the darkness.

"Welcome to the Rebellion." Haymitch says, spreading his arms before he turns around and enters the darkness. We follow, unsure of where we're heading.

The mouth of the cave is pretty small, but it opens into a large cavern. There's a small hole at the top of the cavern, where water is dripping through from the river above. It drips into a small lake, almost the size of my home back in the seam. Our footsteps echo loudly as we try to walk around it. There's another small opening across the lake from us, and when we reach it, my throat begins to close up and I panic. My father died in a mining accident, so being underground and moving through small tunnels isn't my idea of a good time. I'm about to start crying when I notice we aren't surrounded by rock anymore. The walls have turned into metal and underneath our feet is tile. We're walking down what I can now tell is a hallway. The hallway is dark, but we move swiftly. We stop after a short while, and I hear the squeaking of rusty metal moving. Light shoots out in front of us and I realize they've opened a door. When we walk in, I try to take in my surroundings. It is really bright. There are people everywhere. It seems like we're on the top floor of a building. Below us, I can see floor after floor after floor, with people walking around quickly. There are doors on either side of us. They lead us through the first door on our left, into a small room. There is a long table, and a bunch of chairs surrounding it.

"Take a seat. I'll be back in a minute to explain everything." Haymitch says before he shuts us in here. Effie obeys. I take a seat next to her and pull Cato to the chair on my other side. Enobaria begins to pace and when Brutus' attempts to calm her fail, he sits down and leans his head against his hands.

"So" Cato starts, "this is pretty cool, huh? A secret civilization hidden by a waterfall." There's a small smile on his face and I smile back, humoring him.

"How is your side?" I ask, lifting his shirt to check. There's a little bit of blood on the bandage, but not enough to make it seem like he ripped the wound open on our long hike.

"Whoa there!" He says, laughing. "You have to take me to dinner first if you want to do that."

"Oh shut up." I say playfully punching his arm. He winks at me.

"How is your elbow?" His face turns serious, glancing at the bandages around my elbow.

"It's fine." I say shortly. I don't want him to start feeling guilty about pushing me again. "When Haymitch comes back, we'll ask him for some of those pain killers he took. I'm sure you could use some too." He nods, smiling. I lean my head on his chest, not quite able to reach his shoulder.

I've almost fallen asleep when Haymitch comes in, followed by a small man with jet black hair sprinkled with flecks of grey, dark eyes, and sitting in a wheelchair. He sits at the head of the table, Haymitch standing next to him. He clears his throat, and begins.

"This is Castiel Brose. He is in charge of this bunker. When District 13 was blown up, they were all living underground. District 13 has a whole air force in the bunker, along with underground fields to help feed their community. They have been working on learning how to survive underground since they made a deal with the Capitol to be left alone. At first, the woman who took charge, Poppy Denby, was a very peaceful woman and just focused on how to survive. When she died, woman named Alma Coin took over the underground bunker as her successor and quite a few people disagreed with her views on how the rebellion should be. Castiel led those people to this new place about 30 years ago and they have been working on digging out this bunker since. They, just like District 13, have people at the Capitol who have been helping them along the way. This will be our new home."

"You mean they had the forces to take down the Capitol, but left the rest of the districts to die because they didn't want to fight anymore?" I ask, angered.

"We didn't have the man power or the will. They blew up our entire town. Spirits were low. So yes, we went into hiding." Brose speaks up. "But I understand your anger. That is why we left District 13 in the first place. Coin cares about nothing but herself."

"Can I finish?" Haymitch asks, looking from Brose to me. "The other districts are already starting to rebel. District 11, Rue's district, began rebelling while you two were still in the arena. Our rebels have been able to rescue a few of them, but the Capitol bombed them before they had a chance to go back. We're hoping District 13 had time to evacuate some of them as well. Since then, our rebels have been trying to evacuate the rest of the districts slowly, before the Capitol can get to them. The living quarters here are very full, so it's been hard making space for everyone." Then Haymitch looks at me. "Katniss, they've rescued your mother and your sister, along with about half our district."

"Did they save Gale?" I interrupt, and then shut my mouth quickly.

"Yes, I believe so. His whole family should be safe. But Katniss, there's something you need to know." I wait for him to continue and see the pain in his eyes. "They've bombed District 12 as well. There is no longer a home for us to go back to." I can't help but smile. Yes, my home is gone. But everyone who mattered to me is safe, and that's all that matters.

It's silent for a while before Cato speaks up. "And what about us? What about District 2?"

"District 2 is fine. The Capitol still has them under their control. District 1 is too. But we did manage to get your family out before the Capitol found them. They weren't too happy to come with us, though. We had to keep them in our holding cell for the first few weeks until they calmed down. Enobaria, Brutus: We brought your families, for the most part, as well. There were some issues with that and we can discuss it privately at a later time." Brose says.

I glance at Cato, and see his face is lit up. His family is safe, as is mine. Everything will be okay. But I have a few questions that are still unanswered.

"So there are two different rebel groups?" I ask.

Brose directs his attention to me. "Yes. Coin has her group in District 13 and I have my group here. We have quite a few disagreements, which is sad. If Coin could just be a little more sympathetic to human life, we could join forces to take down the Capitol. But for now, we're on our own. We don't fight with District 13, though." He adds the last part as he sees the changing expressions on my face. It's almost like he can read my mind.

"I see. And all of District 13 agrees with Coin? They don't care if a lot of people die?"

"It's not that. Some people just believe that the rebellion needs to be more aggressive. They think if we go in fighting, the Capitol will eventually crumble. I, along with many other people, agree that the best way to win the war against the Capitol is silently. Since we left 13, we've recruited many people to our side. There are numerous victors, along with their friends and family. We even have a few prominent Capitol citizens on our side. If we can just get enough people on our side, we would have no issue overthrowing Snow and all of the rules the Capitol has set up over the years. No one would ever starve again." There's a twinkle in his eye, like he really believes something like this could happen.

I just nod, absorbing all of the information. I'm lost in thought when Cato speaks up again.

"Can I see my family?"

Brose chuckles a little. "You might want to clean up a little first. We'll show you to the showers and then after you get a fresh pair of clothes on and the doctors take a look at you, we'll take you right to them. Same goes for the rest of you. You all look a bit scary at the moment. Follow me."

And with that, he wheels himself out of the room and we follow him. We pass numerous doors with numbers on them. As we walk, I realize that the ground is sloping a little, and all of those floors I saw were actually part of one big spiral. Brose explains the structure of the bunker and what is behind all the doors. "Each of these doors leads to a hallway with at least ten more doors. The first twenty or thirty doors contain meeting rooms. The meeting room you were placed in when you first came in was the very first room we built down here. At first, most of us slept in the cavern with the lake. But I slept in that very room. It was actually my room until we made the true rooms, which are the last hundred or so doors. There are fewer doors through each of those, because we thought people might want a little more space. There are showers and bathrooms every couple doors; you'll be able to tell which ones they are because they do not have numbers on them. Here is one of them." We stop outside a blank door, and Haymitch pushes it open. There are a few rows of stalls for showering, and then a few more rows of stalls for using the bathroom. "This was the very first bathroom we made, so it's the largest. There are fresh clothes in the shower stalls waiting for you. As soon as you're done, I'll have some of my people take you to your families." And with that, he leaves and Haymitch shuts the door.

Effie, who has been silent this whole time, starts hyperventilating as soon as she gets into a stall. Haymitch goes to stand outside her stall. "What's wrong now, Sweetheart?"

Effie opens the door a crack, and gestures to the clothes they left out for her. "They expect me to wear that? Do you think they'll punish me if I wear my heels?" She looks pitiful. Her Capitol makeup is completely gone, and her wig has flattened. She could actually be really pretty, I think, except there are marks down her face from where her tears have washed her makeup.

"I won't let them punish you. But you should wear the clothes they put out for you. Then you can wash the ones you have on." He speaks to her calmly and I wonder what has happened to him over the past few days.

When I get in my own stall, I see I have clothes identical to the ones they set out for Effie. A plain white shirt and loose khaki pants. They left a pair of white shoes as well, but I would rather wear my boots. They seem much more comfortable, and if Effie can wear her own shoes, so can I.

I turn on the water and step in, letting it hit my face. There isn't much water pressure here, but a shower is a shower. I can see the feet of the people on either side of me. Effie's perfectly polished toes on one side and Cato's strong, masculine feet on the other. Having Cato showering right next to me makes my stomach flutter. I wonder if he's thinking about me. But I doubt it. He's only spoken a little since we've come here, and it's been mostly about his family. I have to admit I've been thinking more about my family than him since we've been here as well. I'm so close to seeing them now that I begin to hurry with my shower, placing thoughts of Cato showering aside.

The soap here is plain, but it washes the dirt away just as well as Capitol soap. I notice Cato is finished with his shower before I am. He must be just as excited to see his family. That and he doesn't have all the hair I have to wash. But we both dress quickly and are sitting outside the door of the bathroom, waiting for everyone else. Enobaria and Brutus finish not too long after us. They say Haymitch was already done as well, but he stayed behind to tell Effie to hurry. Then I realize, neither of them have anyone here. They're both alone in this. Maybe that's why Haymitch is being so nice to her.

They finally emerge, and Effie's transformation shocks us all. She has the plain clothes on, along with her heels, showing off her polished toes. But her hair and her face look completely different. Her hair looks like it could be a dark blonde. It's straight and about shoulder length. Her face looks so innocent. She has freckles speckling her cheeks and her nose. The brown in them accents the green in her eyes. She's beautiful. And yet she hid her face with all that horrid makeup. Sometimes, the Capitol really shocks me.

Brose is a few doors away, speaking with a small woman with short brown hair. "Follow me." She says, her voice a high pitch. We walk for a little while before she stops. "Haymitch, Effie: you will both be staying in here. Last door on the left." They look at each other as if they misheard. Then they look at her. She shrugs. "I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable sharing a room, but it's all we have open for now." Then we continue walking. Cato is next. Then Me. I'm only three doors down from Cato, which calms my nerves a little. I know she's telling me what door my family is behind, but I'm too excited to listen. Instead, I pull open the door, which leads to a hallway lit with only a few small lanterns. These hallways are not finished, like the main hallway outside. The floor has tile, and the walls have what looks like a mix of plaster and wood, holding them up. I hear Prim before I see her. I rush forward towards the open door at the end of the hallway, and there she is. She's sitting on a bed carved out of the wall, playing with that awful cat of hers, Buttercup. She looks up when she hears the scuffle of my feet.

"Katniss!" she screams, which startles Buttercup. She jumps off the bed and runs to me. Buttercup hisses, but stays where he's at. "I'm so glad to see you!" I look down at her with tears in my eyes. I'm glad to see her too. She hasn't changed much, not like that much time has passed. It just seemed like so much time had passed, she should have been an adult by now.

"I'm glad to see you too, little duck. Where's our mother?" I say, just now noticing that she isn't in the room with us.

"Oh, mom works down at the infirmary. They just brought in more people from District 6. Apparently the Peacekeepers have been really hard on the people there. We've evacuated a lot of their district already, but the Capitol is starting to notice. I have a surprise for you." She says and yanks my arm so I whirl around and we're facing the door across the hall from us. As soon as I hear who is behind it, my heart speeds up.

I can hear Hazelle's voice, lecturing one of the kids. Rory shoots back something, which makes Posy holler. Prim knocks on the door, excitedly. Vick answers the door and his eyes light up. His arms are around me before I can even say hi. When the rest of the crew looks up, they join him. I'm so happy they are alive.

"Where's Gale?" I ask, and almost feel rude.

"Oh, he's probably down at the infirmary. He's been part of the rescue groups. Probably getting checked out to make sure he doesn't have any more bomb shrapnel in his arm." She says that and shudders. I say my goodbyes to them so I can go back to my room and sit on the bed with Prim.

My sister is talking to me at about a hundred words a minute, but I'm not listening. Gale is my neighbor. Gale, my best friend. One of the reasons why I didn't let Peeta in. He's here. And so is Cato. My heart tightens as I think of Cato and Gale. What am I supposed to do? Until now, my only obstacle from Cato was Peeta. I got over that. But now there's Gale. My best friend. How is he going to feel when he finds out that I actually do like Cato, that it wasn't all just for show?


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews, favorites, and subscriptions! You guys are all awesome! I hope you like this chapter! You should all be super proud of me for updating this story so often! Normally, I give up on stuff like this after a few days! But I promise, I will not give up on this until the story is finished! Let me know how you like it! Enjoy! **

Chapter 9: Gale and Cato

"Katniss, are you even listening to me?" I'm brought back to reality by my sister's annoyed voice.

"Sorry, little duck. I'm just trying to soak it all in. What were you saying again? I promise I'll listen this time." I say, putting my arm around her and pulling her close.

"I was telling you how awesome Gale was. As soon as he heard the rumor about the Capitol bombing District 11, he started preparing everyone for an evacuation. We made it like ten miles out into the woods when Brose's people finally found us! And Gale was so calm the whole time, making sure everyone was still following and had enough water and food. It was really heroic of him." She gushes to me.

"Gale is a very strong person. I'm sure if you guys didn't run into Brose's people, he would still have kept you all safe." And I smile, thinking of how all of this is true of my best friend, who I still haven't seen yet.

"What ever happened to that Cato boy you were 'so in love with'?" Prim asks, looking up at me.

"He's a few doors down from the main hallway, I think. I'll introduce you to him."

"You mean, you actually like the guy? He seemed so horrible during the games. I was sure the whole love story was made up." There's disappointment in Prim's eyes and I'm not sure how to explain it all to her.

"It isn't like that Prim. We all had to do horrible things in the arena. I can't blame him for what happened in there. And the love story was made up. I didn't even get to know him until a few days ago. He really isn't that bad of a guy, Prim." I say, looking down at her.

She shrugs. "Can we go see him now?"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. He's being reunited with his family. He might want some alone time." I say, but Prim is already pulling me by my hand and down our hallway. "Prim, we can meet him later, I promise." But she's still ignoring me.

"What door is it?" She questions, but then opens the correct door anyways. I can't help but smile at how direct Prim is, how well she can read my face. I honestly don't know which door he is in, so at least my facial expressions can't give that information away.

"What are you planning on doing, Prim? Are you going to knock on every door until you find him?"

"I will if I have to. I want to meet Cato. I did watch you guys in the arena. And on television for your interview. He's really cute."

"You aren't old enough to think boys are cute yet, little duck." I cluck at her and she sticks her tongue out at me. She's about to start knocking on doors when I hear his voice. There's laughter coming from a few doors down. Prim hears it too and makes a bee line right for it.

She knocks on the door and the laughter stops for a second. When the door opens, my heart skips a beat. I know I haven't been away from Cato for more than a few hours, but seeing his face lit up like that makes me all warm inside. He looks genuinely happy.

"Katniss." He says, seeing me first. Prim clears her throat and he looks down at her. "You must be Primrose. I'm Cato. It's nice to meet you." He gives her an award winning smile and I'm almost sure she's going to faint. "Why don't you two come in? I'd like to introduce you to a few people." Prim steps right in and I hesitate. Cato looks at me with a knowing smile before gesturing for me to come in too. When I pass him, he grabs my arm and whispers in my ear. "You know, you look really beautiful when you're embarrassed." This makes my cheeks turn bright red, and I know there's no way I can hide my embarrassment before I make eye contact with an older version of Cato, except with grey eyes similar to mine.

"You must be Katniss. I'm Julius, Cato's father. This is my wife, Marigold and our other two children Briar and Ryker. It's nice to finally meet the girl on fire." He says the last part with a little bit of spit, and I can tell he's still upset that his family was in danger because of something I had done.

"Oh Julius, knock it off. You know it wasn't the poor girl's fault. You'd have to blame Cato too if you're going to blame her." Marigold says, stepping from behind her husband to playfully slap him on the arm. She looks absolutely stunning. She looks almost too young to be Cato's mother, with long flowing auburn hair, and sparkling blue eyes that match Cato's. Her cheekbones are prominent, and her body is long and slender. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed that she had work done in the Capitol. But so many of her beautiful, unique features show in her three children. I look from their mother to them.

Briar is just as beautiful as her mom. She's almost an exact replica, except she has her father's grey eyes and stern jaw line. Ryker looks like the odd one out with his mother's auburn hair. He's also a lot shorter than the rest of them, but he looks like he's a lot younger than them as well. Maybe Prim's age.

"It's nice to meet you all." I say politely.

"Can you really shoot an animal through the eye with a bow and arrow?" Ryker blurts out as his sister hushes him. Cato chuckles at how direct his brother is.

"Yes, I can. I've been hunting in my district for years now. It gets easy with a lot of practice." I say, smiling back at them.

Ryker's eyes widen. Briar speaks up next. "Isn't it illegal to hunt in your district? It was in ours. We had a lot of rules back home."

"It was still illegal in our district too, but the Peacekeepers in District 12 weren't treated very well by the Capitol, so they let a lot of things slide. Quite a few of them even bought stuff from me weekly." I raise my eyebrows at them and smile, and they seem content.

Prim butts in, wanting to be part of the conversation. "Katniss is amazing! She basically fed our whole district with the stuff her and Gale caught! She even bought me a goat! But we had to leave her behind." Prim frowns and Ryker frowns with her. Briar seems like she wants to frown too, but doesn't want to seem like a child. She must only be about a year or two younger than me and is trying to act like the children's conversation isn't interesting her.

"I'm sorry we barged in like that. Prim just really wanted to meet you. But we'll leave. I haven't had a chance to see my mother yet. But when she comes back up to our room, I'll have to introduce you to her. We're a few doors down in the main hallway." I say, backing out with Prim in tow. They all said goodbye, and I saw a glimmer in Cato's eyes as he admired the interaction between his family and mine.

As we walk back down the hallway, Prim looks up at me and smiles. "I like him. And his family. I didn't think I would."

I put my arm around her and bump her with my hip. "I told you he wasn't that bad. You should never judge a book by its cover, little duck."

She smiles up at me, and then looks back towards them. "Do you want me to take you down to see mom now? I'm sure the infirmary has calmed down, and she'll want to look at your elbow." I glance down at my elbow, I completely forgot about it. They were supposed to take us down there before we met with our families. I guess the new shipment of injured people took priority over us. Which was fine with me until just now, when I realize how much pain my elbow is really in.

"That sounds like a great idea. I could use a little touch up on my bandages." And with that, we follow the spiral of hallway down to the bottom floor. There are only a few doors here. Prim tells me where they lead. One leads to the cafeteria, another leads to a large assembly room, another leads to the infirmary, and the last few doors lead to classrooms and lecture halls.

We make our way into the infirmary, and see there are many doors and half walls, hiding doctors and nurses and patients. Everyone smiles and waves at Prim, and I give her a questioning look.

"I spend a lot of time here with mom. They told me that if I go to all my classes, I can work here after school and learn to be a doctor, just like mom is." There's pride in her voice, and my heart swells a little. At least one good thing came from this whole rebellion thing. Prim and my mother both get a chance to do something better for their lives.

We go around a few corners and find my mother, helping a man who looks a little older than me with dark seam hair. When he looks up, my heart flip-flops.

_Gale_.

He sees me, and gets up, pushing my mother aside. He comes right to me, pulling me into his arms. We stand like that for what seems like forever. Then he pulls me away from him so he can look at my face. "Katniss! I'm so glad you made it. We had communication with Haymitch after you got shot, but I didn't realize you'd be here so quickly. Are you alright?" He asks, tears in his eyes. "I really missed you Katniss. And I hated what they did to you. We should have run away when you asked me to. We could have found this place and then you would have never had to go into the arena at all."

I'm overwhelmed by his admissions, but I just nod and pull him in for another hug before I make eye contact with my mother. Our relationship has been strained since my father died, but I still worried about her when I was gone. I walk up to her and we embrace awkwardly. Then Prim joins us and I feel complete. My family and my friends are safe. At least, I think they are.

I turn back to Gale. "Is Madge alright?"

"Well, she's here. But I don't know if you would consider her 'alright'. Her parents—well, her mom wouldn't come. And her dad wouldn't leave her mom. So she had to leave them back home. The bombs hit too quickly for us to go back for them." He hangs his head, and I see that he feels guilty that he didn't get everyone out.

"You did an amazing job, Gale. You saved so many lives." I assure him, placing my hand on his arm. He looks down at it and I pull my arm away quickly. We should be used to each other's bodies from spending so much time out in the woods hunting, but now things are different. I'm a different person than I was. But even just looking into Gale's eyes, I remember my old friend. I remember how horrible I felt when I kissed Peeta in the arena, knowing Gale would have to watch it. I don't know why I thought it would bother him, but it bothered me just knowing he saw it all.

"Thanks. Katniss, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Gale asks, pulling me aside. Prim and my mother exchange looks, then Prim turns to nod to me. We walk further down the hallway into the infirmary, until we come to an empty exam room. Gale turns to look at me. "Are you really alright? I mean, what the Capitol made you do, pretending to love Cato. That must have been horrible. Especially after you watched him kill Peeta."

"Gale, no. Just stop, please. I'm fine. Pretending to be in love with Cato wasn't even really that hard. He's not as bad as you think he is." I don't want to get into this with Gale. I know he would never befriend the person he thinks Cato is, but he doesn't know Cato like I do.

"Are you serious? He snapped Peeta's neck right in front of you. He would have killed you too!" I flinch at his words, and can't help but defend Cato.

"I killed people too, Gale. We all did things we didn't want to do in that arena. You have no right to judge him like that if you aren't going to judge me the same."

"How can you say something like that? He volunteered to go into the arena just so he could kill people. He trained for it. You only did it because you had to." There's anger in his face.

"You just don't understand. Cato is not who you think he is. We all put up a front for the games. You don't know Cato like I do." I mutter, about to turn around. But Gale grabs my arm and pulls me back towards him. His grip hurts, but I don't let him see the pain in my eyes.

"And exactly how well do you know him? You met him, what, three days ago?" Gale spat back.

"You know what, Gale? Forget it. You have no idea what went on in that arena. While you were safe at home, we were all fighting for our lives. So you have no right to judge anyone who had to live through that. Go screw yourself." I say, ripping my arm from his grip. I fight back the tears that are threatening to fall down my cheeks as I make my way back to my mother.

"Are you okay, dear?" She asks me, and I nod silently. Thankfully, my mother isn't one to, well, be motherly. "Let's inspect that elbow, shall we?" And for the rest of my visit down at the infirmary, we're silent. Prim had decided to go back up to the room to check up on Buttercup while I was talking with Gale. After about an hour of getting my elbow treated, my mother looks up at me and smiles. "All done! It should heal pretty quickly. Now, there was a boy in your group who got shot, wasn't there? He hasn't come down to get treated yet. Can you go get him for me?"

"His name is Cato. And yes, I'll go get him." I say, hopping off the table and heading back up the spiral hallway to Cato's door. It's pretty quiet behind his door, but I can still hear talking. I knock, and Briar opens the door.

"Hey Katniss! Back so soon?" She greets me, opening the door wide for me to come in.

"I just came back from the infirmary. My mother wants to check out Cato's wounds, just to make sure they're healing right." I say, searching the room for him. But he's nowhere to be found. Ryker sits on the floor in front of the bed that Marigold is laying on. Briar notices me looking at her.

"She has a bad headache. This whole living underground thing is hard on her. But Cato isn't here. He left with my dad an hour or so ago to take a tour. But I'll let him know you stopped by. If he hasn't gone down there before he gets back, I'll send him your way!" She says, trying to be cheerful. But I can see the sorrow in all of their eyes, having to leave their life back in District 2 to come live underground for a cause they really don't even care about. Who could blame them? District 2 is well fed, the Capitol takes care of them. This is like prison for them, whereas it's more of a godsend for us.

I stop by our room to see if Prim is there, but she's gone. Buttercup hisses at me when I open the door, so I decide against staying in there to wait for her. I head back down to the infirmary instead, to tell my mom that Cato will be by later. I hear screaming to my left as I enter the infirmary, and I almost recognize who it's coming from. I follow the scream down a few hallways and into a room, where a girl is strapped to a bed. She looks at me and her glare softens.

"Katniss. You're alive?"

"Madge. What happened?" I ask, in awe. Madge and I weren't really close, but she was my only other friend besides Gale. And she had always been calm and collected. Now, her hair is a knotted mess, there are scratches all over her face and her arms, and she is completely strapped down to a hospital bed.

"I—I don't know. I guess I just kind of lose it every now and then. It's hard being here alone. I mean, my mom wasn't much of a mom. But my dad—my dad was my best friend. And now he's gone. Forever. And some times, I feel okay about it. But most of the time, I guess I go a little crazy. So they've been keeping me strapped to this bed since right after I got here."

"I'm so sorry." I mumble, taking her hand in mine.

"Don't be. None if this is your fault. I saw what happened in the arena. You weren't trying to start a rebellion. I know that. So no matter what I say to you on my bad days just know I don't blame you. It's good to see a familiar face, though. The only other person who's come to see me besides the doctors and nurses has been Gale. I barely knew him back home, but he checks on me almost every day. You're a lucky girl, Katniss. You know that?" She looks up at me, half smiling, half tearing up.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused. Lucky wouldn't be one of the words I would use to describe myself.

"Gale. He's in love with you. Watching the games was so hard on him. He couldn't wait for you to come home. When we came here a few weeks ago, he asked them to take him straight to the Capitol to get you." I blink at her a few times, before shaking my head.

"Gale isn't in love with me. He was just trying to be my friend, except he thinks being my friend means he can control me. I have to go talk to my mom, but I promise I'll come back tomorrow to see you." I say, squeezing her hand. She seems sad that I'm leaving, but lets me go.

When I finally find my mom, she's examining someone's side. They're laying down so I can't see who they are until I get closer. I see his chest first, and realize I would recognize that chest anywhere. Then I make my way up to his strong jawline, his beautiful face, and his piercing blue eyes.

"I see you found my mother okay." I say, smiling at him. He tries to sit up but my mother places her hand on his chest and pushes him back down.

"Actually, your sister found me and dragged me down here. She's just as bad as you. My wound isn't even that bad anymore." My mom laughs a little, but continues to work on putting new sutures in.

"Well you obviously ripped your stitches, or my mother wouldn't be giving you more." My mother nods her head, as if agreeing with me.

"I wasn't bleeding much. It would have been okay. I'm tough, I can handle it." He flexes his biceps, which ripple almost perfectly. I laugh at him and sit down across from my mom.

"I met Gale." He says, looking at me. I raise an eyebrow, asking him to continue. "He didn't seem to happy to meet me. Was he good friends with Peeta? I've noticed Peeta had a lot of friends. Everyone's been giving me death glares." He looks down.

I grab his hand and scoot closer to him. "No, Gale is just being stubborn. And yes, Peeta had quite a few friends. But don't worry about them. They'll warm up to you soon. I mean, come on. If I can forgive you, they can too. Plus, they probably don't like me much either right now. " I give him an encouraging smile, and I can see he's faking a smile to make me happy. I squeeze his hand before turning back to my mom. "How much longer is this going to take? I'm starting to get hungry." And with that, my stomach grumbles loudly. We all laugh.

"Perfect timing." My mother says. "I'm almost done. I just need to spray something on it and bandage it up and he'll be good to go. You know how to find the cafeteria, right?"

"Prim showed me when she brought me down here." I say, standing up as she sprays Cato's bullet wound. He stands up so she can wrap a bandage all the way around his torso. The bullet went straight through his body, but the hole in the back wasn't too bad. He'd only ripped the front stitches anyways. I'm almost disappointed when Cato pulls his shirt back over his head, and he looks at me before I can hide the look on my face.

He grins cockily at me, before grabbing my hand. We wave goodbye to my mother, and start heading towards the cafeteria. He leans down to whisper in my ear. "I would leave my shirt off, but I think there are already too many jealous girls giving you dirty looks." I look around and notice there are a lot of girls staring at me. But I think it's more because I'm holding hands with someone who killed the person I was supposed to be in love with. I can tell no one believed our love affair story. Either that or they didn't see it on television. I've only seem a few televisions since I've been here, and I highly doubt they are used very often.

When we walk into the cafeteria, there's a line for food. We're waiting in line, just looking around, but the people staring at us are starting to get to me. I notice one of them, in particular, that looks really familiar. He starts to get up and I realize what's happening, but it's too late to stop it.

I see another boy, younger than the first one but similar in looks, grab his arm and shake his head. "You don't want to do this, Crispin." But the older boy or more of a man really, named Crispin apparently, shakes his brother off and continues walking towards us.

"Sayer, if you try to stop me again, I will knock you out." He calls back, without taking his glare off of Cato and I. Cato hasn't noticed, so I tug on his arm. He turns just in time to see Crispin step over the rope for the line and charge right into him, slamming him against the wall. I scream for help, but no one is moving. Crispin is punching Cato in the face, repeatedly.

"Cato! Fight back!" I scream at him. But he doesn't. So I jump onto Crispin's back, latching onto him with my legs and my good arm, and begin clawing at his face. He rips me off his back and throws me to the ground. And this time, people come to break up the fight.

Two large men grab onto a now screaming Crispin, who is kicking and trying to break free. Sayer follows them, looking at me with sad eyes. I know those eyes, but I can't place where I know them from.

Cato is barely conscious, and I rush to him, leaning down on my knees. His face is covered in blood, and I notice his shirt is starting to seep with blood also, probably from his bullet wound. "Cato, stay with me. We're going to get you to the infirmary and you'll be as good as new."

"I deserved it, Katniss. I killed his brother." He says before shutting his eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So, I hope you all know how amazing you are and how much I enjoy writing this story for you! I'm giving you this update so quickly for two reasons: 1. I had a lazy (but productive day, sold all my books back, went to work, wrote two chapters for this lovely story) and 2. A friend of mine got stabbed in the heart a few weekends ago and there's a fundraiser for him on Saturday. I'm an amazing baker (just like poor, dead Peeta) and I volunteered to make all sorts of yummy things for them to sell! So I'll be ridiculously busy tomorrow and the day after that and there's a large chance that I won't have enough time to update! But I'll try my hardest! I love all of your reviews and subscriptions! Show me some more love! Hope you enjoy this chapter! (I promise I won't hurt Cato too much more physically, a bullet hole and a broken nose seem like enough damage to his beautiful body!)**

Chapter 10

I'm too shocked to cry, but my throat is sore and I'm sure I'll have a hoarse voice later. As a few big men lift Cato and take him to the infirmary, his words echo in my mind. Of course! Those two boys, Crispin and Sayer, are Peeta's brother. That's why they looked so familiar; that's why I recognized Sayer's beautiful eyes. A chill runs down my spine as I remember them.

Crispin, who must be the oldest, was taller than Peeta, but had the same build. His hair was darker, like their mothers and his eyes must have been like hers as well. Sayer, who was young enough to have volunteered for Peeta but didn't, was almost an exact replica of Peeta, except his hair was also a little darker than Peeta's blonde. I can't believe I couldn't figure out who they were as soon as I laid eyes on them. I shake my head, following Cato's carriers into a private room.

My mom rushes in, along with a few other doctors. She looks at me. "Katniss. You need to leave. There isn't enough room for you to be in here. And I think his family might like to know what happened."

My stomach drops. His family. The people who don't even want to be here. They aren't part of the rebellion, and I'm sure the rest of the people here know that. I hope none of them are in danger like Cato was. But then again, Crispin's hatred for Cato has nothing to do with the rebellion. So maybe they'll be safe. I make it up to their hallway faster than I would like. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, searching inside myself for some strength. His father already hates me. What is he going to think when I tell him my old 'lover boy's' brother just beat the snot out of his son?

I make it to their door and the whole family is in there. Marigold is still lying on the bed and Julius is sitting right next to her. There is a worried look in his face and I feel even worse about the news I'm about to give them.

Ryker sees me first and smiles. "Hey Katniss. Cato is already down visiting your mom. Prim found him."

"Um, actually. That's why I'm here. My mother patched up Cato and we realized we were hungry. And, well, one of Peeta's brothers spotted us—"

Marigold sits up, her face in horror. She knows exactly what has happened. "Is Cato alright?"

"I—I think so." I try not to cry, knowing this must be worse for them than it is for me, and it's really bad for me. "He's with my mom and a few other doctors now. They asked me to come find you and tell you." I look at the floor, not wanting to meet their gazes. I can almost feel Julius burning a hole through the top of my head.

"Well then, let's get down there! What are we waiting for?" Briar shouts, and is next to Katniss before the rest of her family has a chance to move.

"Honey, I'd love to. But my head is killing me. Your father will go down with you. Just make sure you both stay with your father and Katniss. I'll see Cato when he's all better." Marigold says, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. I think there might be something really wrong with her, but I don't say anything. Ryker grabs my hand, and the worried expression on his face makes my heart melt. Briar's face wears a matching expression. I can tell Cato's family loves him very much. It makes me grin inside, knowing I'll never have to defend him around these people. He could have really been the killing machine from the arena and they still would have stood by his side.

We walk silently and quickly down to the infirmary, but they're still working on him. My mother comes out to speak to us briefly, right when we arrive.

"Hello. You must be Julius. I'm Delia, Katniss' mom. Your son is doing alright. He has suffered a broken nose, and that's the only real damage we're fixing right now. He got a concussion as well, but there doesn't seem to be any damage to his brain. He woke up briefly before we put him under to work on his nose. He didn't seem too worked up about it. We're just finishing up with him, and then we'll take him to the recovery wing. You can sit with him there."

And then she heads back into the room. Soon after, they wheel him past us. We stand up and follow, going down hallway after hallway until we end up near where I think is Madge's room. They bring in extra chairs for us all, but I begin to excuse myself. This seems like a family matter, and I want to give them their space.

But Ryker won't let go of my hand. "It's okay. You don't have to leave. He'll want you to be here when he wakes." He squeezes my hand and I take a seat next to him. We all sit in silence for what seems like forever, until his eyes finally flutter.

He has a huge bandage on his nose, and there are a lot of purple and yellow and blue bruises all over his face. But they do nothing to hinder his features. Instead, they bring out the blue in his eyes, making them more stunning than usual. I can see his jaw muscles clench as he swallows, then looks from face to face. He smiles brightly, and my heart skips a few beats. He focuses on me and his smile grows, and then fades quickly.

"What did he do to you?" Cato asks, almost too aggressively.

"What do you mean?" I ask back, confused.

"Your face." He mutters, looking away. I'm still confused, so Briar steps up to let me know what exactly is wrong with my face.

"You have a black eye." She states matter-of-factly. I bring my hand up to my eye and flinch as I touch the swollen skin. I hadn't even realized that Crispin had hit me in the eye. His elbow probably clipped me when he was trying to get me off his back. I was still in shock from him attacking Cato, I must not have noticed.

"Oh. Well it doesn't hurt. Obviously, since I didn't even know I had one." I say, uncomfortably laughing a little. Cato smiles at my weak attempt to make him feel better.

"Son, how did this happen?" Julius says, ignoring me completely.

"I don't know Dad. I didn't even see him until it was too late. But you can't really blame him. I killed his brother. I would have done the same thing if the tables had been turned." He turns to look at his siblings, tears in his eyes. Seeing this makes my heart melt. I would do the same for Prim. Well, I did something similar when I volunteered to be tribute instead of her.

"I know that, but how did you let him do this much damage to your face?" He says, ignoring Cato's sympathy for his attacker.

"I couldn't fight back. It would have been wrong of me. I deserved this. Worse even, maybe. His baby brother is never coming back home, and that's my fault. A broken nose is nothing compared to the damage I've caused them. He got his free shot. Don't worry, if he tries it again I'll fight back." His dad doesn't look satisfied with the answer, but knows he won't change his son's mind. He sighs, and stands up.

"Well, I'm going to go let your mother know you're alright. Her headache was too bad to come down here." He says and leaves before Cato can say anything back.

I take this chance to speak up. "What is really going on with your mom?" Ryker looks at Briar, who looks down at her feet. I turn to Cato, waiting for an answer, but they're all pretty silent. "She's had those headaches for a while now, hasn't she? It has nothing to do with living here, does it?" I keep questioning until finally, Briar speaks up.

"She has a brain tumor. We found out when Cato was still in the arena, about the time your friend Rue was killed." I flinch, Cato notices and frowns, but Briar continues. "She hadn't received much treatment before we got shipped here. That's why Dad is always mad. Mom is dying and he's blaming these people. He knows they may have possibly saved our lives, but he doesn't care."

"Have you told anyone here about your mom's condition?" I ask.

"Dad won't let us. He doesn't trust the people here. Especially the doctors. Where we're from, the Capitol is not the enemy; the rebels are. And we know Capitol medicine could help her." Her voice trails off, as if she's trying to control her emotions, but I could hear the cracking in her voice.

"There are quite a few Capitol doctors here. And they have machines that help them look inside people's heads, remember? They used one on Cato to make sure his brain was alright after his concussion." I say, trying to comfort her.

"We know. But Dad won't listen." Ryker adds, tears coming to his eyes as well.

"Maybe I can have my mother talk to him." I suggest, then as I'm looking for a way to change the topic, Cato steps in for my rescue.

"Hey, how about you two go get me and Katniss some food? We didn't have a chance when we were in the cafeteria earlier, what with me getting jumped and all." He laughs, shooing them out of the room. I'm still sitting in my chair, watching him. "Come here." He says, patting a spot next to him on his bed. I reluctantly get up and sit down next to him. He grabs my face in his large hands, making me feel small. Gently, he rubs my cheek under my black eye with his thumb.

"It really doesn't hurt. I promise. I've had a lot worse injuries than this." I say, putting a brave face on.

"Yeah, like a broken elbow." He spits back, ashamed of what he did to me earlier.

"Oh, don't even go there again. You saved me from getting shot in the head. My elbow didn't hurt much either! And this," I say, gesturing at my eye, "was definitely not your fault. I just forget that I'm not strong enough to take on a 200 pound man." I say, trying to laugh it off, but his face stays serious. He pulls me in for a hug and sighs.

"You know what? You're right. Honey, you may be the death of me yet. I've gotten shot for you, and now your old boyfriend's brothers are beating me up. I definitely deserved the second part, but I'm not so sure about the first part." He says, trying not to laugh. It's weird, but I'm not upset that he's joking about this.

But I don't let him know that. Instead, I pull out of his embrace and punch his arm playfully. "Don't go there, Cato. You probably deserved the bullet wound too. Besides, it makes you look tough." I state.

"Makes me look tough? I am tough. I already looked tough before the bullet wound!" He says, getting defensive as I laugh at him.

"I'm not so sure about that. With that blonde fluffy hair and those baby blue eyes, you look like a little angel." I say, grabbing his face to admire him.

"Little, huh? You're on a roll with the insults today, aren't you? Haven't I gotten beat enough today? You should be doing something nice for me, like rubbing my feet!" He says, and wiggles his toes out of the blanket covering them.

I wrinkle my nose at him, which makes him laugh pretty hard. He has to stop because his head hurts. I scoot closer to him and lay down. There's no way this bed is big enough for the two of us, but I don't care. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in close. We lay like that for what seems like only a short time, before Briar and Ryker burst back into the room, followed by Prim.

"What are you guys doing?" Prim teases, wrinkling her nose up at us.

"You just wanted us to leave so you could kiss!" Ryker accuses. "And we were being nice by getting you guys food!"

"You could have just told us to leave." Briar said, not making eye contact with either of us.

I blush and sit upright. "Now that isn't true, Ryker! We really are hungry! I don't even remember the last time I had an actual meal. So what did you bring us?" I ask, sliding off the bed to see their spoils.

"I don't know if we're going to share with you now." Ryker says, sticking his tongue out at me.

"Greasy Sae told us to make you guys come back if you want food. We had to sneak a lot of it back here!" Prim says and I smile, thankful that Greasy Sae was saved as well. Gale did a really good job getting people out in time, I think as I bite into a roll. It isn't fresh, but it isn't stale either. I try to enjoy it, but Prim plucks it out of my hand and tosses it to Cato. "You should let him eat first. He has worse injuries than you." Cato laughs as I turn to glare at him. Well, he's won my sister over already. I turn back to stick my tongue out at Prim, which makes her giggle.

The five of us finish the food in silence, laughing every now and then as they throw food to Cato and watch him struggle to catch some of it. We're interrupted by a nurse coming in to check on Cato's vitals. We all stay silent until she leaves, and then burst out laughing. As I laugh along with them, I soak up my surroundings, glad that everyone gets along fine.

A doctor comes in next. "How is your head feeling, Cato?" He asks, reading Cato's chart.

"It feels alright. The throbbing has dulled a lot." He says, smiling.

"Well, you're free to go on one condition: You have to have someone wake you up every two hours. It's just a precaution, but we have to make sure you're completely okay."

"I'll do it!" I blurt out. Everyone turns to look at me and I can see Cato holding back a laugh. He smiles at me, noticing that everyone else is giving me a weird look.

"Okay, then it looks like you're set. I'll have someone drop off your medicine to your room later today, alright? Try not to get into any more trouble, boy. Your head can only handle so many hits." He smiles as he leaves.

Briar and I help Cato slowly out of his bed. He tries to bat us away, but in the end I can feel his weight resting on my shoulders.

"Do you want me to go see if I can find you a wheelchair?" Ryker asks, his eyes wide with excitement. I know exactly what's on his mind. Any twelve year old would love to take a wheelchair down that spiral hall. Hell, I would love to take a wheelchair down that spiral hall.

"I'll go with him. I think I know where they keep them!" Prim says, grabbing Ryker's arm and yanking him out the door.

"I better go with them, to make sure they don't get themselves in trouble." Briar says. I smile, thinking how mature she sounds for someone who should be racing them to get to the wheelchairs.

"Okay, sounds good. I think we're going to start making our way up to the room. I'm sure you'll have no issue catching up to us." I call to her as she starts walking down the hallway to catch up to them.

"Think you can handle holding my weight the whole way up?" He asks, smirking at me.

"Yes, I can." I say, and then grunt as he puts more weight onto me. "Okay, maybe not that much weight. You're really heavy!" I exclaim.

"Again with the insults!" He almost yells. People turn and stare, and he looks at me and laughs. "Oops. Didn't mean to talk that loud. At least you're going to have to stay up with me all night! That should be a good enough punishment. How exactly are you going to do that, anyways? You plan on bunking in my room with my family, or are we going to yours?"

I never thought of that. "Maybe we can explore. If the kids get you a wheelchair, I can wheel you around the place."

"Well, that sounds like loads of fun." He mutters, teasing me.

"I don't know what else to do. If we stay in our rooms, we're going to keep our families awake all night. Exploring seems like the only option to me."

He shrugs, seeming to accept my answer. "Hey, maybe we could go for a midnight swim." He waggles his eyebrows at me and I laugh.

"I'm not sure you should be swimming with your condition." I say, looking up at him.

"What condition? I've swam with concussions before. And my bullet wound is almost healed up. And as for my nose, I just won't stick my head underwater." He says proudly, thinking he made my point mute.

"I wasn't talking about those conditions. I was talking about that big head of yours. You might sink right down to the bottom." I fire back, laughing when he looks away from me, trying not to laugh along with me.

"Oh you just wait, Miss Smarty Pants. Me, you, that lake, tonight." He says, then winks at me. We finally make it back to his room, but his mom is sleeping. So we walk back to my room, which I know will be empty except for Buttercup.

When we get to the door and open it, Buttercup hisses at me immediately. Cato laughs. "Whoa there. You guys have a guard cat? It doesn't seem to like me."

"Oh, it isn't you. That cat hates me." I say, laughing as I stomp towards Buttercup, scaring him up to Prim's bed.

"I can see why." Cato murmurs, and then looks at me innocently. We both sit down on the bed and lean back. He puts his arm around me and I lean into him. Buttercup, who was on the far end of the bed, starts easing his way towards Cato slowly. Before I know it, he's in Cato's lap.

"Traitor." I shoot at Cato, laughing. We sit there for a few minutes when we hear laughter down the hallway. "It sounds like they found that wheelchair." I say, laughing. Within seconds, Prim shoots into our room, pushing Ryker in the chair. Briar comes in right after them, out of breath.

"You guys aren't causing trouble, are you?" Cato says, looking at them with a fake sternness in his eyes.

They look to each other, searching for an answer, and then burst into giggles. Briar and Ryker notice Buttercup napping on Cato's lap, and run towards him with excitement. Prim proudly shows off her pet, and I take this as a perfect opportunity to dismiss myself. As I stand up, Cato glances up at me. "Where do you think you're going?"

"You guys are all traitors. I'm going to go find Haymitch and Effie. I want to see how they've settled in." I say, backing out slowly. He shakes his head and then waves at me. The kids are unaware that I've even moved from my spot, so I don't wait for their acknowledgement before I head out.

I make my way up the hallway towards their room. When I get to their door, I hear crying. I pause, almost rethinking my visit. But when I don't hear Haymitch comforting her, I knock. The crying stops for a second, and I can hear her shuffling around in her heels. Then she opens the door. "Katniss. What a surprise."

Effie's tear stained face greets me. "I wanted to see how you were settling in. Are you okay?" I ask.

She moves from the doorway to let me in. "I'll be okay. It's just hard, you know. I went from living in a beautiful home with all the freedom in the world. I had an amazing shower, and a custom made bed. Life was perfect back there. And to leave it without notice, well that was just rough. And coming here, where everyone hates me, is the worst." I look Effie up and down and notice she didn't make any permanent body modifications. She looks just like one of us, except her perfectly painted finger and toe nails. Oh, and her heels.

"Effie, no one would ever be able to tell you were from the Capitol if you just stopped wearing those heels." And as soon as I say it, I know it was a mistake.

There are two little streams running from her eyes now. "Oh of course you wouldn't understand. A place like this must be like heaven for you. I've seen District 12; I know how horrible it was there. But you see, I can't give up my heels, Katniss. I just can't. They're the only thing I have left from my life back home and I need them. Haymitch says it's alright to keep them on. He's out getting me food now. I couldn't possible go out into public looking like this." She gestures at herself and I have to stifle a laugh.

She makes our plain outfits look fantastic. The white shirt fits her just right, and the khaki pants make her legs look long and slender.

"I guess he's right. I'm sorry for being so insensitive. But you have to go out there and meet people. You can't just stay in this room all the time. You'll go crazy all alone in here."

"I'm not alone. I have Haymitch." She stops, and then laughs to herself. "Who would have thought that Haymitch would be my savior in all of this? Alcoholic Haymitch has been the one person keeping me sane this whole time. I mean, I guess we've become friends over the years. We've had to; losing two children each year is tough, so having each other around has always been nice." She trails off, thinking back to the past.

"I'm glad he's cleaned up for this. Having him sober must really be helping." I say, looking up at her. She smiles back and then shakes her head.

"To be honest, I almost miss the old Haymitch. By time I met him, he was already a drunk. I've gotten pretty used to his snide comments and helping him get his drunk self to bed." She blushes a little, and I'm about to ask what she means, when Haymitch walks in.

"What a pleasant surprise, Sweetheart! What are you doing in my room?" He says, handing a tray of food to Effie.

"I just wanted to see how you guys were settling in. And I wanted to talk to you."

"Good, because I needed to talk to you too. Let's go for a walk, shall we?" He says, leading me out of the room.

We walk up towards the door leading to the lake.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Sweetheart?" He asks.

"I just wanted to let you know what happened to Cato earlier. We were—"

"Oh, you don't have to finish. I hear what happened. Which is one of the reasons why I needed to talk to you. There was a problem."

"What do you mean, a problem?" I ask, looking up at him confused.

"Cato's father. They've locked him up in the holding cell again. He attacked Crispin. They're starting to get tired of his shenanigans, Katniss. Everyone knows he doesn't want to be here."

"What am I supposed to do about it?" I ask

"You need to get his family to talk some sense into him. Now, there's another pressing matter we need to talk about." I nod, and then wait for him to continue. "The Capitol is raiding the districts. You already know they've bombed Districts 11 and 12. Now they're going through the rest of the districts, raiding them for rebels. Coin back in District 13 has asked us to help her out. Her people need more soldiers and doctors. Gale and your mother have volunteered to go to them."

I stare up at him, shocked. Why would my mother want to leave here? Now that I'm back home, and she has Prim too. I shake my head. I should have known better. My mother hasn't stepped up to be a mom since my father died.

"Why would Gale go?" I ask to myself, and then realize I said it out loud.

"He wants to end this war against the Capitol. He has a lot of good ideas for the military, and frankly, he's getting sick of just sitting around here. The rescue missions aren't quite exciting enough for him, I guess."

I roll my eyes. Gale's trying to be a hero again. He can't be content with the fact that he saved almost our entire district. "Figures." I mumble. Then I hear footsteps behind me, and I turn around quickly. A tall dark figure is standing behind us, waiting.

"Katniss, can I have a word with you. I promise I won't hurt you." He steps out of the dark and I recognize him. It's Sayer. I nod at Haymitch, who looks at me carefully before making his way back into the bunker.

"Do you want to go out by the waterfall? Then we won't have to be in the dark." He offers, and I lead the way. When we get to the opening of the cave, We step around the waterfall and sit by the lake.

I wait for him to start talking, but he doesn't. He just stares out onto the lake. So I stare too. It's weird, sitting right next to someone who looks so much like a person who's neck I saw getting snapped right in front of me. But I don't think about that now. I know that I owe his family a lot. Peeta saved my life on more than one occasion, and I'll never be able to repay him. So the least I can do is answer any questions his family has.

I hear footsteps, and turn, just in time to see Crispin walking towards me. My heartbeat speeds up as I look in horror at Sayer. He's about to open his mouth to speak to me, but then everything goes black.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: So basically, I deserve a medal! I spent all day long in the kitchen and ended up making a whopping 104 delicious cupcakes! Hopefully they sell well tomorrow at the fundraiser! Anyways… I ended up having a little bit of time after all my intense baking, and I needed to clear the whole cliffhanger from the last chapter so you guys don't start grabbing pitchforks and going after some characters that aren't so bad. Thank you, as always, for all the reviews and subscriptions and such. I know I'm spoiling you all with my amazingly quick updates (hehe, I know, I'm so modest. But you have to admit you're loving my updates. I hate reading a good story on here, and having to wait forever for them to put the next chapter up. It KILLS me! I'm a very impatient person.), and I promise I'll keep trying to get each chapter done as quickly as possible without lowering the quality! All the wonderful reviews and subscriptions I get make my day! Please keep it up! Enjoy!**

Chapter 11

I can hear birds singing somewhere above me, Mockingjays, I believe. My eyes flutter open and before I can scream, a hand is clamped over my mouth.

"Now, if I take my hand away, you have to promise not to scream. I'm just here to talk." Crispin says sternly. I nod, knowing he could easily hurt me if I disobey.

"I won't scream if you promise not to attack me again." I say, sitting up.

"What are you talking about? I didn't attack you. I was walking over to you and Sayer and you passed out."

"Oh yeah? Then why does my head hurt?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at him.

"You hit your head on a rock when you dropped." He says, looking past me at Sayer. "Sayer should have caught you." He gives him a look. I turn to look at Sayer.

"Sorry, Katniss. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Crispin just wanted to talk to you, but he knew you wouldn't let him come near you. I—I didn't think the sight of him would make you, you know, pass out." He murmurs, looking down at his feet.

"You guys are serious? I passed out?" They both nod and I can feel my cheeks going red. I was extremely scared when I saw Crispin walking towards me, but I didn't realize I was _that_ scared. "So, um, what did you want to talk to me about?" I ask, looking away. I'm embarrassed beyond belief. They brought me out here just to talk and I pass out from fear and then accuse them of attacking me.

"We had a few questions. About our brother. And that guy, Cato." Sayer says gently. "You don't have to stay and answer them if you don't mind, but we'd really appreciate some answers."

I nod, looking towards each of Peeta's brothers. I owe them at least a few answers.

"Did you really love Peeta? Or was that just something you did to get sponsors for the games?" Crispin blurts. Sayer gives him a dirty look, but I wave him off.

"In all honesty, I don't know. I cared for Peeta deeply, which is most of the reason why I spent two months recovering after the games. I was a wreck and they couldn't even keep me stable enough to stay awake. But I'm not sure if I loved him like he loved me." I say, staring out at the lake, trying not to let the tears from my eyes drop down my cheeks.

"Fair enough. He really did love you, you know. Got beat a few times by our mother for you. She caught him staring out the bakery window at you all the time, burning the bread he was supposed to be watching." Sayer says, a small grin appearing on his face as he remembers his brother.

"Okay, so if you cared so much for Peeta, why would you go and pretend that it was all a lie and that you were really in love with this Cato guy the whole time?" Crispin says, trying not to let the anger show in his voice.

"It was that easy to tell that we were just pretending?" I ask, but I don't wait for their reply. "Snow threatened our families. He thought we were just trying to embarrass him in front of all of Panem, so our mentors made up the story of how we fell in love right before the games. Our only way to survive, and to save our loved ones, was to pretend that we loved each other." I say, tears still threatening to break out. There's a lump in my throat as I try to swallow.

"Well then why are you still being so nice to him? Aren't you angry with him for killing Peeta? He was a cold blooded killing machine in the arena." Crispin says, his anger showing through too much in the end, causing his voice to crack.

"You wouldn't understand. Being in the arena changes you. It makes you a completely different person. Hell, I shot a guy straight through the heart without blinking." I say flatly. I know no matter how much I explain, no one will ever be able to see Cato like I do. Everyone will always think of all the horrible things they saw him do in the arena, although they have no issue ignoring what I did.

"It was different. He killed for sport, you killed to stay alive." Sayer points out, but I shake my head.

"No, it wasn't like that. In the arena, it's kill or be killed. Yes, he killed a lot more people than I did. But they would have died eventually. There's only one victor—well, usually there is only one victor. So if Cato hadn't killed all those people, someone else would have. Killing Peeta wasn't right, but he thought he had to kill him to survive. And when he did kill Peeta, something broke inside of him. He realized how horrible everything he had done in the arena was, and refused to continue. He had hoped that I was going to kill him, but I had already broken as well." I say, and decide if that doesn't get them to understand, even just a little, I'm giving up.

"I never thought of it that way." Sayer says, staring out into the trees, his mind trying to sort through everything I just said.

"No one does." I say quietly. I look over at Crispin, who seems to be processing my answer word for word.

He sighs, and then looks at me. "Okay. I'll leave him alone then. I just needed to try to get him back for what he did to Peeta, and to you. I won't be friendly with him, but I'm not going to hit him anymore either. Sound fair to you?" He asks me.

I nod. "Yes. And could you do me one favor?"

"I guess I could, seeing as I made you pass out from fear." He grins and I see Peeta in his smile.

"Not true. I must have passed out from the exhaustion of these past few days." I spit back, but they don't believe me. "Could you let everyone else know that Cato isn't a mindless killing machine? You don't have to speak kindly of him, but just let everyone know you no longer have your sights on killing him." I look up at them, hoping I'm not making too hard of a request.

"Sure. That sounds reasonable. I mean, I probably messed up that pretty face of his. And I owe you one as well." He says guiltily, gesturing at my eye.

I shrug it off. "It's no big deal. But thank you. I'm going to head back inside, if it's alright with you. I'm supposed to be making sure Cato doesn't fall asleep for too long, with his concussion and all. And thank you, again, for being understanding." I say and I hold out my hand to shake each of theirs. But Sayer puts me in a bear hug, and then Crispin does the same.

"No matter what happened in that arena, or what happens now, we'll never forget how you saved our brother. We'll always be thankful. You risked your life to get him that medicine and I don't think we could ever repay you for that alone." Crispin says, looking into my eyes. The emotion in his eyes alone is almost enough to have me crying, but I hold back my tears and just nod.

I take my time going back into the bunker. The fresh air is basically begging me to stay out and enjoy it, but I know I really should find Cato and make sure he's still doing alright. I smile to myself, thinking about the interaction I just had with Peeta's brothers. I never really knew them before the games, but I should have known they weren't horrible people. How could they be? Peeta was the sweetest guy I've ever known; his brothers were bound to be pretty decent guys.

I pick up my speed, excited to tell Cato about what happened. When I enter my family's room, they're all right where I left them, still playing with that awful cat. Cato looks up at me and smiles.

"Did you find Haymitch?" He asks as I walk over to them.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did." I remember what Haymitch told me before I went off with Sayer, and I tell myself to mention that to Cato as well. "Do you want to come for a walk with me?"

"Only if you can handle pushing me around in that wheelchair." His grin widens as he gets off the bed and plops down in the wheelchair.

"Whatever you say, master. Want me to rub your feet for you too?" I say sarcastically as I wheel him around and we head down the hallway. I'm not even sure our siblings notice us leaving.

"I asked you to do that for me already, didn't I?" He chuckles as I slap his shoulder. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" He asks, looking back at me. It feels so strange looking down on someone who I've had to look up to for the past few days.

"Well, after I talked to Haymitch, I ran into Sayer." Cato sticks his feet down so I can't push the chair anymore.

"What?" He asks, turning around. I can see his knuckles turning white as he grips onto the arms of the wheelchair.

"Oh, Cato. Sorry. It wasn't anything like that. Him and Crispin just wanted to talk to me. No harm done. Except—well, I kind of passed out when I saw Crispin. I think it was from all the exhaustion, or it could have been because I was really afraid to be near him." I try to laugh it off, but Cato is looking at me sternly. I take a deep breath. "Quit looking at me like that. They really did just want to talk. They wanted to know why I was protecting you, and I explained to them why I forgave you. They seemed to understand and Crispin promised me he would leave you alone from now on."

"You didn't have to do that. I can stand up for myself, you know." Cato says, and I can see a glint of hurt in his eyes.

"I didn't go out looking for them. They found me. They had questions. Questions about my feelings for Peeta. And for you." I say, looking away. Cato lifts his feet and I begin pushing him again.

"So, what are your feelings for me?" Cato asks, and I can tell he has that cocky grin plastered all over his face.

"Oh stop it." I say, avoiding his question. "I had something else I needed to tell you though."

"Fine, ignore my question. I'll get you to answer me one way or another." He says, not looking back at me.

"We'll see about that." I say, smirking at the back of his head. "I want to take you somewhere a little more private to talk about this next thing though. Think one of these conference rooms is open?" We walk into one of the hallways, and find the first door open. I peek in, noticing it's empty. "This room will do." I declare as I wheel him in. I stop him at the table and take a seat next to him.

"Did you just say you had something else to tell me so you could sneak me into an empty room?" He says, winking at me. "You know, I would have let you take me wherever you wanted. All you have to do is ask."

"Right. Next time, I'll just ask. Now, this is really serious Cato." I say. His face instantly turns serious, but then he cracks a smile again. "I'm not kidding. It's about your dad."

"What do you mean?" He asks, a true seriousness comes to his face.

"He—he attacked Crispin while you were in the infirmary. Haymitch says that everyone around here is getting really sick of him and his attitude. They all know he really doesn't want to be here and they can understand why he's a little upset about it, but they had to bring him here to save his life. And now he's making it hard for them to make any more excuses for him."

"They can't possibly understand how hard it is for my family to be here, Katniss. You know about my mother's condition." He blurts out, his voice cracking.

"I know, but they don't. Maybe if your mom got checked out down at the infirmary, someone could help her. I don't know, Cato. I just know they aren't going to let your father act like this forever. And it really doesn't help much, but I'm here for you and your family. But no matter what I do or say, they aren't going to change their minds about your father until he changes his ways. He doesn't have to like being here, but the way he's acting isn't going to make this any better for him."

"Just stop. You're talking to me like you know my family, but you don't. We had a great life back in District 2. And it's all my fault that they had to be brought here. So I can't just tell my dad to behave. He blames me." Tears swell in his eyes, and I reach out and touch his arm. He starts to pull away, but stops.

"I'm sorry, Cato. I didn't mean it like that. I know this is all really hard. I didn't mean to tell you what to do. I just wanted to warn you. I just don't want anything to happen to you or your family." I feel horrible, knowing I should have come about this a different way. Cato grabs my arm, pulling me into his lap.

"It's okay, I know you had good intentions. You're probably the only other person I have here, besides my family. I mean, not even Enobaria and Brutus have spoken to me since we got here. But I don't really blame them. They probably blame me too for dragging them and their families away from home." He looks down at my lap, playing with the hem on my shirt.

"You know that isn't true." I place my hand on his jaw, pushing his face up so that we're eye to eye. "Look at me, Cato. None of this is your fault. It isn't mine either. It's Snow's fault. And it's the Capitol's fault for ever creating the games in the first place. It may take a while, but everyone will see the truth eventually. Until then, I'm in this with you." I move my lips to his, catching him off guard. But soon, his arm is making its way around my back, pushing me closer to him. I wrap my arms around his neck, pushing our lips closer together. This kiss is heated, more heated than I would like. It gives me butterflies, and I know I should stop before I get in too deep, but I just can't. The warmth of his lips against mine makes me hunger for more. But the angle I'm sitting at becomes comfortable quickly, and I start squirming, looking for a better position. Cato notices, and without breaking our kiss, flips me, so that I'm facing him. He bites my lip, and our kiss becomes even more heated. I kiss back harder, nibbling on his lip as I hunger to be even closer to him. His hands are roaming around my back, under my shirt. The warmth of his hands on my body soothe me. We stay like this, only breaking our kiss to come up for air.

All of a sudden, the door behind us opens. I can hear a woman giggle, and a man snort. Cato and I break instantly. I jump off his lap and lean against the table, trying to hide my embarrassment as I look up to see who the intruders are.

"Well, Sweetheart. Maybe you two should have put a 'do not disturb' sign on the door if you're going to be doing that."

"Oh, Haymitch, stop it! They're teenagers! What do you expect?" Effie says, slapping him on the shoulder and smiling at us.

I eye them suspiciously. "And what exactly were you two planning on doing in here? There's no one else following you, so it can't be a meeting." I grin, slyly as I watch the blood rush to Effie's freckled cheeks and Haymitch opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water, trying to come up with a decent comeback. "That's what I thought. Cato and I will be leaving now, so how about we don't mention this to anyone?" I smile at them smugly as I wheel Cato past them. Haymitch's jaw is still dropped as we leave and I can hear Cato trying to hold back his laughter.

Once we make it back into the main hallway, Cato bursts into laughter. "That was a close one." He says, winking at me.

"Shut up." I say playfully, rolling my eyes. "If that would have been anyone else, we probably would have gotten into trouble. And could you imagine how much more embarrassing it would have been? I almost died right there when the door opened. Thank goodness it was only Effie and Haymitch." I say, sighing.

"I wonder what the two of them were planning on doing. I mean, they have a room to themselves, don't they?" I nod, wondering the same thing. "Did you know they were that close before the games?"

"Honestly, I thought they hated each other. I was almost positive the only reason why they tolerated each other was because they didn't ever have to see each other for very long. Usually, District 12 tributes die off pretty quickly."

"Well maybe this whole thing brought them together. See? Something good came out of us both being mentally unstable." He says, grinning up at me. His stomach growls and I take that as a perfect opportunity to wheel him down to the cafeteria.

"Think you could handle some food?" I ask, knowing the answer.

"I could always handle some food." He replies, patting his stomach, which decides to grumble again. We both laugh and I speed up my walk. We make it to the cafeteria and the line is pretty short.

Greasy Sae is behind the counter and seems too busy to look up, but I clear my throat. She looks up and a smile escapes onto her face. "Katniss! It's so nice to see you! I thought after that scuffle earlier, you wouldn't want to come back down here for a while. You look skinny, girl." She says, looking me up and down. And then she notices Cato. "Oh, hello. You don't look too hot yourself either. Do you have two sneaky siblings? I think they may have teamed up with Prim to steal some of our food earlier." She says, squinting her eyes at him.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I asked them to get me something, since I wasn't able to get food the first time I came in here. But if I knew you were working behind this counter, I would have come back here earlier to introduce myself." He says, smiling widely at her. I see the grin on her face and know he won her over already. Stupid Cato and his good looks, I think, shaking my head. It took me months to win over Greasy Sae, and the only reason it happened that fast was because she knew my father.

"It's alright, dear. I think I can let them go this time." She smiles, and then comes back with heaping piles of food on our plates. I look up at her and try to hold back the laughter trying to escape from my body. As she hands us the over excessive amount of food, I swear I see her wink at Cato.

When I wheel him over to a table and sit down, I look at him and raise my eyebrow. "You know, it isn't nice to flirt with someone just so they'll give you extra food."

He looks up at me and chuckles, a sly grin on his face. "You seem a little jealous, Katniss."

"Not one bit. I just don't want to know what Greasy Sae would do to you if you broke her heart." I give him a smug smile and he laughs.

"Right. Doesn't sound like jealousy at all." He says and winks at me.

"Keep that up and I'm not sure I'll be strong enough to wheel your big head around anymore." I laugh playfully, flicking a bean from my plate at him.

"Hey now!" He hollers, not moving quickly enough to dodge the food. "Don't waste this good food I worked so hard to get us." And as he lectures me, he flicks a bean back at me. I'm quick enough to dodge it though, and it hits an older man a few tables behind me right in the back of the head. We both turn away from him and duck our heads, unable to control our laughter.

"Good job, Cato." I spit out between spurts of laughter. We manage to make the rest of our food into our mouths, just talking about our lives.

"So, you used to hunt back in District 12?" He asks, intrigued.

"Yep. Me and Gale. It was the only way to put food on the table for our families. Both our fathers died in a mining accident." I say, looking down.

"I'm really sorry, Katniss." He grabs my chin and lifts my face up so I can see the sincerity in his face.

"Thanks. We survived, but it was hard. What about you? How was life for you over in District 2?" I ask, knowing it was probably a hell of a lot better than mine.

"It was pretty amazing, actually. I mean, my family isn't rich, but we lived comfortably. My dad owned a restaurant and my mom was a teacher. When I wasn't in school or training for the games, I would work at the restaurant with my brother and sister. It was nice, having that time to spend with them." He smiles, remembering the way his life used to be. "But I'm not complaining about this place. I mean, you would not believe how nice it is not to have to go to training eight hours a day every day. That's basically been where all my 'free time' has gone since I was ten. This," he gestures around us, "is really nice. And being here with you is pretty nice too. I've never been this close with a girl before." He places his hand over mine and I don't move it away. It's strange how comfortable I've become with him in the few days I've known him.

"Well this is pretty much heaven to me. I mean, I'm sure I'll get bored pretty soon. But this is a nice little vacation for me." I say, leaning back in my chair, my stomach now pretty full.

"I'm glad. You of all people deserve a good vacation." His smile changes from genuine to cocky and I brace myself for his big head to explode. "And I'm sure you're loving having a such a good looking companion on your vacation. Too bad this bunker wasn't on the beach. Believe me; you would really be in heaven then." He flexes his biceps again and I laugh at him, almost wishing I had more food to throw at him.

We laugh and joke around, learning a little bit more about each other: and we're both still beaming by the time we leave the cafeteria.

The main hallway has all but cleared out, only a few people wandering around. I glance up at a clock above the infirmary door and see we wasted the day away in the cafeteria. I can't help but smile to myself, thinking of how much fun I've had with Cato since I've met him. I mean, just today we've gotten caught making out and thrown food at each other. Even just talking with him is a blast. I love how happy I am right at this moment. And before I can stop myself, I'm leaning over him in the wheelchair and kissing him on the cheek.

"What was that for?" He asks, touching his cheek in surprise.

"Oh, nothing." I reply, smiling mischievously. "It's starting to get late. How about that midnight swim?"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! FYI, we raised over $2500 for our friend at the fundraiser today! But now I'm burnt and beat so excuse any grammatical errors I may make. I had to change the rating from T to M because, well… you'll see. This chapter is a little bit shorter, but I had to update for you all. You guys are so amazing! And I promise to keep updating often as long as you keep reading! Enjoy, and send me a little love in a review! **

Chapter 12

Something flashes through Cato's eyes when I bring up the idea of a midnight swim. Then he grins, wickedly. "Sounds like a plan to me. But can we drop off the wheelchair first? I think I'm healthy enough to walk."

I hesitate, thinking he may be pushing himself too hard, but then shrug it off. He knows his body a lot better than I do, so who am I to say what he can and can't do. "Okay. But if you collapse or anything, you're on your own. You know you're too big for me to carry. I'll leave your butt in the wilderness." I joke as I wheel him up the spiral hallway and towards our rooms.

He wants to leave his wheelchair in my room, since I have less people living there. I agree, knowing how small our rooms are already, without a big wheelchair taking it up. I make him get out of it outside of our doorway, just in case he makes too much noise.

Although he tries to be as quiet as possible, he groans a little as he stands up, his joints popping. "It feels so good to stand up." He whispers, stretching. "I feel like I've been in that wheelchair all day."

"It's only been a few hours. And I don't know what you're complaining about. I've been pushing you around this whole time. My back is killing me." I whisper back, smiling at him playfully.

I take the wheelchair into my room and set it next to the door. Even though we have four beds in our room, Prim and my mother are asleep on the bottom bunk with Buttercup nestled close to Prim's side. I smile, remembering that this is exactly how I usually left them every morning I went hunting in the woods with Gale. It's how I left them that last day I went hunting with Gale; the day of the reaping. I shake my head to clear the thoughts of Gale and the reaping. I don't want to think about the boy who I thought was my friend but turned out to be more close minded than Peeta's brothers, who actually had a good reason to be close minded.

As I turn to leave, I slam right into Cato's lean, muscular body and have to stop myself from squealing out of surprise. "They look so peaceful." He concludes, smiling at the sight of them sleeping and then adds "You look so much like them when you sleep, you know that?" He smiles down at me and I push him out of the doorway and shut the door quietly.

"Come on. Let's go." I say, grabbing his hand. He interlocks his fingers with mine and uses my arm to pull me closer to him. We make our way to the door of the bunker. It creaks quite loudly, and we glance around, making sure no one has heard. Not that it matters. They basically let people do whatever they want around here. I figured they wouldn't like us going outside because we might give away the location of the bunker, but they have an emergency system that will close off this entrance if needed. Not that anyone could even see anything in these woods from above. Even though we took a pretty easy path to get here, the trees are so dense that it would be almost impossible to even see the lake from above. But even so, their emergency system would make it look as if there were just rocks behind the waterfall, as if nature had made it that way long ago.

We enter the cavern and I begin to walk us past the small but Cato stops. "We aren't going to swim here?" He asks, looking confused.

"No way!" I say, wrinkling my nose at him. "I want to swim out in the open air. Aren't you tired of being underground?"

He shrugs, and lets me follow the way, never letting go of my hand. When we make it outside to the waterfall, Cato puts his hand under it, letting it splash us both. I giggle, trying to block myself with Cato's body, but he's way too strong for me. He uses our interlocked hands to wrap me up with my own arm, grabbing the other arm with his free hand so I can't move. He steps under the waterfall, causing us both to be drenched within seconds.

He looks down at me, and pulls me up towards him. My feet rest on top of his, and our faces become just inches away from each other. The bandage on his nose must be waterproof, because the water is just rolling right off of it and onto my face. He's laughing, but I can barely open my eyes. The water isn't pouring down hard, but there's enough of it to make it hard for me to see. "I've never kissed anyone under a waterfall before." He says, and I can sense him inching his way closer and closer to my face.

I giggle, trying to squirm my way out. "What makes you think you'll ever get to kiss anyone under a waterfall?" I tease, trying to move my face further from his. But, it doesn't work well at all. He has me in a tight grip, which almost frightens me. I know I'm strong for a girl, but I'm absolutely know match to Cato's strength. I'm not sure I like not having complete control, but with Cato things are different.

"Oh, I have a feeling it will happen." He presses his lips down hard on mine, still smiling. I kiss back, just as hard but making sure I avoid his nose as much as possible. And after a minute or so of kissing like this, he releases his grip on my hands, allowing his hands to roam freely up and down my side, over my back, to my face and neck. I do the same, not knowing where exactly to place my hands, just knowing I wanted to touch every inch of his body, which is now covered in a soaking wet shirt, almost like an extra layer of skin.

Our kiss is cut short as we try to come up for a breath and breathe in the waterfall. We're both laughing, trying to step out of the waterfall without slipping. We gasp for breath and I lean against a wall, trying to get my body to calm down. The way I react to him is like nothing I've ever felt before, and I'm beginning to really like the way it makes me feel.

"You know, standing under a waterfall isn't my idea of a swim. And I didn't plan to get my clothes completely soaked." I say, wiping the water out of my eyes.

"Well, that white shirt of yours looks pretty damn good soaked." He says, eying me. I give him a stern look and cross my hands over my chest. Then I notice how his shirt is sticking so perfectly against his body. You can make out every muscle in his chest and stomach. He's breathing heavily, so his muscles are rippling nonstop.

I look up and see him watching me. He's noticed that I'm checking him out, so I turn and start walking out of the waterfall, hoping he won't say anything about it. He doesn't, and I sigh with relief. Instead, he follows close behind. I decide that instead of turning towards the lake, I turn the other way and climb up the side of the waterfall. I'm curious to see where this water leads us.

"Where are we going? The lake is right there." He says, trying to catch his breath still. I remember that he's injured and probably didn't get much air at all during our kiss with his nose all bandaged up, so I slow down for him.

"I want to see where the water is coming from. Come on, it'll be an adventure." I say, stopping to wait for him to catch up. I put my hands on my hips, acting like I'm not still trying to catch my breath.

He grunts, pretending to be annoyed with my adventurous side, but smiles and grabs my hand as soon as he reaches me. We reach the top of the waterfall, and I see that a steady stream is feeding it. We follow the stream at a leisurely pace for what feels like a mile or two, just talking about anything and everything.

"Once, when I was in primary school, I got in huge trouble for looking up a girl's skirt. But it really wasn't my fault. She was climbing on the playground and I just happened to be under her." He says, trying to sound innocent.

I laugh. "Oh, I'm sure you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He playfully shoves me.

"It's true!" He insists. "I bet you had all the little boys trying to look up your skirt too. You probably climbed trees like you wanted them to look just so they could get caught by mean teachers."

"Actually, I was kind of a loner. I sat by myself most of the time at lunch and minded my own business in the classroom. My only two friends back home were Gale and Madge, and I didn't even become friends with them until later."

He stops, looking at me. "Well, I'm sure if you would have let other people in, they would have loved you." He smiles, and then changes the subject. "So, I saw a replay of you singing to Rue while we were recovering in the hospital after the games. That was really beautiful. I didn't know you could sing."

My cheeks turn red. "Actually, I'm not that good. They must have played up my voice or something. You know how the Capitol is. I just used to sing with my father all the time when we would go out into the woods. It calms me down."

"One day, I want you to sing for me." He states, as if he's telling me instead of asking me.

"Keep dreaming. I never sing for anyone, except Prim. And only when she's scared." I say, looking forward.

"Will you sing for me if I get scared?" He asks and I can't tell if he's kidding or not.

"What exactly is the mighty Cato afraid of anyways?" I joke.

"A lot of things, actually. I'm afraid of losing the people I love, for starters. And I'm afraid of roaches. Those things are shifty little things. Oh, and I'm afraid of heights. That's about it though. What about you? What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing. Except losing my loved ones. And mines. I hate being underground. This bunker seems stable enough, but since my father died in a mining accident, I haven't handled being underground well. I almost had a panic attack on the train into the Capitol before the games because we went under that tunnel." I shudder, remembering how horrible that was. And before he can reply, we both stop dead in our tracks, our breath taken away by the sight in front of us.

Through a few trees, and in the middle of what seems like an even more dense part of the forest, lies a beautiful lake. It's about the size of the lake in front of the waterfall, except it is fed by six or seven waterfalls of different sizes, coming off a tall cliff full of many different kinds of rocks. The waterfalls glitter in the moonlight and cause peaceful splashes into the far end of the lake. I grin, and look up at Cato. "This is the spot where we're going to swim."

I start to walk towards it, but Cato won't budge. His hand is still locked with mine, so I jerk back. When I turn to look at him, he has an awkward look on his face. I walk closer to him, confused. "I should probably tell you something." He pauses, as if he wants me to stop him. But I don't. "I don't actually know how to swim. I mean, I can probably keep myself afloat, but it will take a lot more energy than it should."

I stifle a laugh, and turn to look up at him. "Cato, you're really tall. We don't actually have to _swim_ swim. We'll just wade out into the water until you can't stand anymore and we'll stop." He looks at me, as if unsure of what I'm saying.

"Okay, I guess. But I'm taking my clothes off. I forgot to mention my fear of drowning earlier and I think these things will drag me down." He gestures at his still wet clothes and I agree. Although the clothes were pretty light when they were dry, they've now become as heavy as sandbags. Not to mention they've become almost completely see-through anyways. I nod in agreement and Cato begins stripping right away. I laugh at him, turning away. "You better start getting undressed too, Katniss. I'm not going in there alone." He says, dropping his wet clothes to the floor.

"I am. But we should hang up our clothes so they can dry a little more while we swim." I say, trying to get my shoes out of my wet boots, and then peeling off my wet shirt and hanging it on a branch jutting out of a tree nearby. When I turn around to help Cato with his clothes, my jaw drops. He is standing there, butt naked. The moonlight is reflecting off of his body and I can't help but look at where it casts light. I'm so shocked that I can't even look away. I just keep staring. I can feel my cheeks getting red as he starts laughing.

"Like what you see?" He chuckles, throwing his wet clothes at me, bringing me back to reality.

"Uh—I—um, I—I didn't think you meant _all_ of our clothes." I stutter, turning quickly to hang up his clothes next to mine.

I can hear him moving closer to me, and my breathing becomes more rapid. "Are you afraid of a little fresh air?" He whispers, almost breathing down my neck.

"No. I just don't do the whole naked thing around other people. I'm more of a private person." I say, my cheeks burning.

"Okay, I'll make a deal with you. I'll get in the water and face away from you so you can undress. And then I won't look back until you're deep enough in the water to be covered. I mean, we really should dry our underwear too. If we swim in them, we're just going to get our clothes wet all over again."

He has a point there, and I sigh, still not turning to look at him. "Fine. Just hurry up and get in so I can hang my clothes up." I say, unbuttoning my pants. I strip quickly, trying to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't turn around, although I have to turn my back to him to hang up my clothes.

I should be perfectly fine with nudity. My mother and Prim are. And I've seen naked people so many times on our kitchen table. But it's different knowing there's a naked Cato in the water waiting for me to join him. I've even gone skinny dipping, but I was by myself out in a lake by the cabin my dad took me to when I was little. I was always alone.

I can feel myself shaking as I run to the water, trying to get underneath the dark surface and hide my exposed skin. I dive down as soon as I hit knee deep water, and soon, I'm swimming up to Cato.

"You can look now. There's nothing for you to see." I say, splashing the back of his head.

"I should be honest with you. I peeked—a few times. And I must say, there's a lot for me to see." He turns, that cocky grin of his shining brightly in the moonlight. He laughs as I splash him in playful anger.

"You promised you wouldn't look!" I shout, swimming deeper into the lake, knowing he won't be able to follow.

"I never promised! I only said I wouldn't look, but I changed my mind. And I didn't stare like you did." He points out, still grinning widely at me.

"I wasn't staring. You just caught me off guard." I slowly swim back towards him, knowing how mean it is to swim to where he can't go. He's standing about elbow deep, and I laugh, thinking about me standing next to him in the same depth water. It would almost cover my whole chest, but not quite. And as much as I love seeing his bare chest, especially in the light of the moon, being closer to him seems like a pretty good alternative. "Come out a little deeper so I can be closer to you. It's too shallow where you are." I call out to him and he obeys.

"You better save me if I start drowning." He calls back, slowly taking steps further into the lake.

"Of course." I say, smiling. He's up to his armpits now, so I feel that I can safely stand near him without being exposed. We're about a foot away from each other when I stop. I remember that we're both naked, so I shouldn't get too close. Especially since lately, I've been ending up almost too close to him, even with clothes on.

"Are you afraid to be close me?" he asks, seeing the hesitance in my face as I decide whether or not to close the gap a little more.

"Of course not. I've been near you almost every second of every day since we left that hospital." I say, even though I know that isn't what he's talking about.

He inches closer, and I debate swimming further away from him. But I stand my ground. "Right. Then why do you look like you're about to swim as fast as you can to the deep part of the lake where I can't follow you."

I accept his challenge, and inch closer to him. "Does it look like I'm swimming away now?"

I can almost feel his body in the water in front of me. My body begins to react to the heat of his and soon I'm in his arms once again. This time is different than others, and I know that we're going to become a lot closer than before. My heart beats quickly in my chest; I can almost feel it pounding in my ears. Our kisses are a lot softer than before and we explore each other.

When we finish, we're both breathless. We lay out on the rocks at the bottom of the waterfalls. I'm no longer ashamed of my body in front of him, and even though I still glance at him every now and then, I know I don't have to stare any longer. He is mine, and I am his. It's stupid of me, really. I haven't known him for very long and we just did something I never would have thought I would do with anyone any time soon. My head is resting on his arm and we're still tangled up in an embrace. Even though the temperature outside is perfect, his body heat warms me up. We lay like this for a while before Cato notices the sun coming up. We quickly run around the lake to our clothes, which are now fully dry, although they are no longer crisp and clean. But we don't really have too much time to wash them. We should probably head back to the bunker before anyone notices that we've gone missing.

We walk back silently. But it isn't an awkward silence. He puts his arm around my shoulder and I lean into him. Although walking this way will slow us down, I don't care. I love the closeness that I feel towards him. It's amazing how far we've come in the last few days. I went from wanting to be alone with him so I could kill him, to wanting to be alone with him just to be alone with him. I love our talks and the way we can just joke about everything, but be serious when we need to be.

I smile as I think again about how much fun I've been having with Cato. I don't think I had ever giggled in my life before I met him, and I'm not ashamed of it, like I thought I would be. I've always had to be strong for my family, and now, I just get to be me. The real me. I thought the real me was serious and calculating. But I like this happy, adventurous Katniss a lot better.

When we finally make it back to the waterfall hiding our bunker, Cato stiffens up and stops dead in his tracks. It takes me a few seconds to realize why he did that. And then I hear it too. Someone is screaming; screaming in agony.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry about the wait! I've been super busy the past two days! Thank you all for the lovely reviews! And sorry about the confusion, but yes, Cato and Katniss had sex. I basically sucked at the whole skipping over it part because I knew if I started to describe it, I would end up going way too far into it and I needed to keep my M rating. But if you would like, I can go back and edit it and make it more obvious :P (I'll add some stuff into this one too, just to give you a glimpse of what happened last chapter where I sucked at life) Hope you enjoy this chapter! Send me some more review love! You guys are awesome!**

Chapter 13

I don't recognize the scream, but Cato must. Without dropping my hand, he begins running towards the mouth of the cave, through the cavern with the lake and into the bunker. We push past the crowd that is beginning to form on the spiral hallway, and my heart stops as I see a crowd gathering around Cato's hallway.

We snake our way through them and head for his doorway. There are a lot of people in his room, much more than it should be able to hold. I spot my mom, leaning over the bed. I gasp as I take in the scene.

In the corner of the room, Ryker is fighting to control his sister. Briar, who I realize the screaming came from, is sobbing hysterically and still screaming every now and then. I see blood on the floor near them, so I look them over to make sure it isn't from either of them. Ryker has blood on him, but it doesn't seem to have come from him. And that's when I move my eyes to the bed.

I see my mother, along with a few other doctors, trying to move Marigold onto a gurney. Cato's mother seems to be unconscious, and I can see blood pooling near her abdomen. Prim, who is the only one small enough to sit on the bed and stay out of the way, is pressing something against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. She has a strong, determined look on her face and I can't help but admire her bravery. At only twelve, she's jumped into the action and is trying to save Marigold.

"What happened?" Cato screams, causing everyone in the room to jump, turning to see him. Ryker and Briar immediately run to him, putting their arms around him. Cato does the same, dragging me around as he's still got a death grip on my hand. "What happened?" He repeats, more gently this time, but there is anger still in his voice.

They've gotten his mother on the gurney and are beginning to push through the crowd to head down to the infirmary. Before Cato can get an answer, his siblings begin following the crowd. Haymitch is by the end of the hallway, and yells at everyone to get back to their own business and leave us alone. We walk down to the infirmary in silence and I can see Cato trying to process what we saw back in his room. Ryker and Briar are walking next to us, though not so silently. Briar is still sobbing and Ryker is working on getting her to stop. We finally reach the infirmary and they take Marigold into a surgery room in the back. They take us into a private waiting room and close the door on us. I wonder where Julius is. Surely they would take him out of holding so he could be with his family right now. I stare at the door, expecting him to come in, but he doesn't.

It's just Cato, Ryker, Briar and me in this small room and I begin to feel like I'm intruding. But Cato won't loosen his grip on my hand, not even a little, so I stay. His face seems to still be processing, but he must be coming up with nothing. Instead, he turns to his siblings. "You two need to tell me what happened. Please."

Briar begins sobbing again and Ryker gives up trying to console her, pushing his seat away from her and closer to us. "You aren't going to like this, Cato." He hesitates, waiting to see the response on his brother's face, but Cato stares back at him expectantly. He takes a deep breath, as if gaining the strength to relive what had just happened in that room. "Bri and I were sleeping. Mom was too, last time I checked. They were supposed to still have Dad down in the holding cell. And then I heard someone scream. It was muffled, but it woke me up. And when I opened my eyes, I saw a man standing over Mom, holding his hand over her mouth. She was struggling, and I couldn't see what he was doing to her, but I jumped down from my bed to stop him. I must have woken Briar up then, because I could hear her yelling at me, and then yelling at the man. When she ran over to turn on the lights, we saw who it was." And then he has to stop, tears flowing down his cheeks. Cato places his free arm around Ryker's shoulders, and lets him cry for what seems like an hour or so, just patting his back.

"Who was it, Ryker? Who did this to Mom?" Cato pulls Ryker away, looking into his eyes for the answer.

"It was Dad." Briar sobs loudly from the other side of the room. There's anger in her eyes, but she can't control her sobs long enough to explain.

Cato and I look from Briar to Ryker, confused and looking for answers. Ryker speaks up again, hiccupping from crying so much. "Dad—he was standing over Mom with a knife. And Briar screamed. But before we could stop him, he stabbed her." There's more sobbing before he continues, and Cato's grip on my hand tightens even more. I can almost feel the bones in my hand breaking, but I can't bring myself to tell him to stop. "And then he raised the knife up again like he was going to stab her, but someone slammed open our door and it scared Dad. He stopped for a second before trying to turn around and stab her again. But the man tackled dad and yelled for help. A few more people came and took Dad away. And then people started coming into our room to help mom. I saw Prim." He says, looking up at me and giving me a weak smile. "And your mom. They were so brave."

Cato stands up, yanking me up with him. Ryker and Briar stand up too but he shakes his head. "No, you two stay here." And they obey, sitting back down quietly. There's anger in his voice and it sends a shiver down my spine. He drags me out of the waiting room and he's walking so quickly down the hallway that I have to run to keep up with him.

I'm almost afraid to speak, but I'm so confused. "Where are we going?" I ask. He stops and I run right into him. Looks at me, as if realizing that he's been dragging me around this whole time. The grip on my hand loosens and the anger in his face softens.

"I'm sorry Katniss. I didn't realize I was still holding your hand so tightly. I—I just don't know what's going on. Why would my dad do something like this? I have to find him." And with that, he begins to let go of my hand, but I tighten my grip on his.

"I want to go with you." I say firmly. He looks at me as if he isn't sure, but then shrugs his shoulders, turning to continue down the hallway. Neither of us knows where we're going, but we keep walking until I spot Haymitch. He's pacing outside of a door down at the end of the hallway, and stops when he spots us. He meets us halfway, and looks right at Cato.

"So I'm assuming you know what happened now." Cato just nods, trying to look around Haymitch at the door. "Yes, your father is in there, but I don't think you want to see him like this."

"I do. I have to know why he did this." Cato asserts, looking Haymitch directly in the eye. He's taller and much stronger than Haymitch, and I see Haymitch sigh and slowly back out of our way. Cato turns to me. "I have to do this alone. But I want you to wait out here for me." I just nod, thankful that I don't have to see Cato's dad. I shudder, wondering how he could stab his own wife like that. I mean, he wouldn't even let the doctors here check her out because he didn't think their medicine was sufficient enough.

I lean against the wall and close my eyes, hearing the door at the end of the hallway open and shut. I slide down and place my head between my knees. My head is throbbing and I remember that Cato and I didn't sleep during the night. I smile a little, remembering the events of the night. It seems like that was days ago. It seems like everything has happened so fast since we got back into the bunker, but it still feels like these two events shouldn't have happened right after each other. Cato and I were so happy a few hours ago, and now, his world is falling apart and there's nothing I can do. I cry softly, and I feel a hand on my back as someone sits down next to me.

I look up to see Haymitch, a tender look in his eyes. "It's alright Katniss. You couldn't have known. Where were you, anyways?" My cheeks turn red and I put my head between my knees again, my crying returning. He stops trying to talk to me and just sits next to me instead.

I can hear screaming through the door, but it's muffled. They must have made these rooms down here soundproof. I shudder, only guessing why they would need soundproof holding rooms.

My head begins throbbing, so I lift it. I rest my head on Haymitch, who in turn puts his arm around me, comforting me. I notice that he smells free of alcohol and think that Effie must be keeping him on his toes. We sit there in silence and soon my eyes begin to droop. Before I can stop myself, I close my eyes and fall asleep.

I wake up to a door slamming. I see Cato stomping towards us and I jump up, walking towards him. He's sweaty and the look on his face scares me. He stops when he reaches me, and his eyes change. I can see emotion flooding through him. "I should have been there." He says, looking at me. I pang of guilt hits me as I realize what he's saying.

"We couldn't have known, Cato." I say, trying to comfort him, although I feel the guilt he does.

"But we were so close. If we would have made it back a few minutes earlier, I could have stopped him."

"You can't blame yourself for this." Haymitch says sternly, looking Cato in the eyes. He turns to me. "You can't either. Neither of you could have known this would happen. No one could have."

We're both silent, knowing there was nothing we could do to change what happened, but blaming ourselves just the same. Cato holds out his hand and I grab it. We walk down the hallway back towards the infirmary. His mother should be out of surgery by now, or at least they'll have some kind of news for us. We reach the waiting room and Cato looks at me.

"I'll tell you everything that I found out in there later, but please don't tell my siblings that we went to see my father. I just don't want to explain this all to them yet. I don't know how to. If they ask what we did, we'll say we went for a walk so I could cool off, alright?" He looks at me, giving me a half smile as he opens the door.

Briar has finally calmed down and is sleeping in one of the chairs. Ryker is awake, but doesn't seem to notice that we've walked into the room. He's staring straight at the wall, like he's watching to see if it moves. Someone must have brought them a tray of food, but it has been left untouched. My stomach growls as I look at the food, but I don't reach for any of it. It just doesn't seem right to eat while their mother is still in surgery.

But Cato notices me looking at the food and grabs for the tray. He picks up two apples and hands me one. I smile at him and take a bite. Once the juice of the apple hits my tongue, I realize how thirsty I am as well. I devour the apple in less than a minute. Cato did as well.

"Man, I didn't realize how hungry I was! I forgot we were up all night and didn't take anything to eat or drink with us." He says, looking at me mischievously while grabbing something else. I relax a little, knowing that he's feeling a little better. Whatever he and his dad talked about put him in a little better of a mood, which confuses me even more.

The sound of Cato's voice caused Briar to stir. She sits up and looks at us, blinking her eyes. "Where have you guys been?" She asks.

"I had to go for a walk to cool down." Cato replies between bites of something that looked like a mango.

"Right." She doesn't seem happy with the fact that we left, but instead of lashing out at us, she just rolls her eyes and continues. "Well the doctors came in. Mom is stable now and they stopped the bleeding, but she's going to lose a kidney. They also looked at the tumor in her brain and said they would give us results as soon as they get them." There's anger in her voice still, but at least she's stopped crying.

"Why would Dad do something like this? Doesn't he know mom has enough health problems?" Ryker blurts out, now staring at the ground instead of the wall.

"Let's not worry about that for now, okay? We need to worry about one thing at a time, and mom's life is our main concern. We'll get to Dad when the time comes." Cato says, putting his hand on Ryker's shoulder.

I'm in awe, watching him interact with his siblings. He's become calm. I know he can't be okay with all of this, I heard shouting coming from that holding cell. I know he blames himself for this. But he's doing such a great job keeping it together for his siblings; I can't help but admire him. I mean, I know I did something sort of like this when my father died, but it was hard on me. This must be ridiculously hard on him. I tighten my grip on his hand and he turns to look at me.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" He says, cocking his head to the side and smiling at me.

"I'm just admiring you. You're being so strong through all of this. It's just amazing." I blurt out, not caring that I'm being more straightforward than usual. He deserves a compliment. Especially now.

Before he can answer me, the door opens. We all stand expectantly, and Prim steps inside. She smiles at us all. "You guys can relax a little." Her face and her tone of voice make her seem so much older than she really is. "Marigold is doing great. She's out of surgery and she'll survive without her kidney. We haven't gotten the results on her head scan yet, but at least she's out of harm's way for now. You can all go see her if you want." She gestures towards the door and we all head for it.

I pull back, letting Briar and Ryker follow Prim first. Since Cato and I are still holding hands, he's forced to stop and wait for me. "Cato, I think you need to spend time with your family, without me. Briar seems a little angry with you and me, and right now you guys need to stick together. So I'm going to go to my room and try to sleep. I'll come back down later and bring you all food, if you're still down here. But if I don't find you before then, you'll know where I am." He nods his head, but before letting go of my hand, he pulls me close.

"I want you to know that I don't blame you. And I promise you that I will explain everything when I see you later." He kisses me on the forehead and then leans closer to me, his lips almost touching my ear. "And even though this horrible thing happened, I would never take back what happened last night." I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, and I smile. He looks at me and smiles back before pressing his lips against mine. I kiss him back, loving the feeling I get from being near him.

We separate and go our separate ways. I look back to watch him walk and catch him watching me. We both smile and quickly turn around. I smile the rest of the way to my room, thankful that the amazing moment we had last night meant so much to him. I wondered if it was his first time, doubting it because he was so good at everything we did. But it didn't even matter to me.

I make it to my room and lay down on my bed, surprised at how comfortable it is. Buttercup is at the foot of it, hissing at me, but I just kick him away. He howls at me before retreating to a different bed, and I smile.

It only takes me seconds to fall asleep, but it isn't peaceful sleep. I have nightmare after nightmare. Gale stabbing me, Prim getting eaten by the muttations from the arena. Peeta getting his neck snapped. Cato getting shot and dying. I wake up screaming and crying more than once. It doesn't take too long to calm myself down, but each time I'm afraid to fall back asleep.

During a nightmare where I'm stuck in the mine with my father, watching him die, I'm shaken awake. I'm covered in sweat and my throat is sore from screaming. Someone is cradling me in their arms and I look up into those deep blue eyes I've come to know very well.

"Are you okay?" Cato asks, running his fingers through my hair, trying to calm me down. I can feel my body still trembling from the last nightmare, and his hot breath on my face makes me realize I've been crying. I nod and bury myself into his chest. He lays back onto the bed and wraps his arms around me. "Nightmares, huh? Want to tell me about them?"

"Not really." I say, exhausted. "They were awful. Everyone I loved died. Prim died, my father died, Peeta died. You died." When I say the last part, a smile grows on his face.

"Oh, so you love me now? What happened to me being a horrible killing machine that you couldn't trust?" He's teasing me, and I roll my eyes.

"I never said any of that about you. And yes, I do love you. I care for you very deeply and I would be upset if you cried. Don't make a big deal out of it, okay?" I look away from him, closing my eyes and breathing in his scent. I could easily fall asleep now, but I want to know what happened.

"Well then, I love you too." He says, I can feel him smirking at the back of my head.

I playfully slap him and turn my head up to look at him. "It isn't nice to tease me like that. I was being serious."

He pretends my slap hurts, rubbing his arm. "I was too. You mean a lot to me, Katniss." He smiles at me and I smile back. Then his face turns serious and he kisses my forehead. "So, you want to know what happened in the holding cell?"

"You don't have to tell me now if you don't want to. I know this is all hard for you."

"No, I want to tell you. I want to tell you everything about me." He squeezes me tighter and I feel the warmth of his body against mine. A flash of memory from last night makes my cheeks warm. I remember feeling his warm body pressed up against mine in the cold water, his hands and lips exploring my body. I feel a tingling sensation deep in my body as I think of everything that happened in that lake and I can't help but smile. We were so close for those moments, so I look up at him and nod, knowing what he means about telling me everything. "Okay, well when I went in there, my dad was covered in blood. My mother's blood. I went crazy, screaming at him and trying to strangle him, but some guards in the room pulled us apart. My dad was a wreck, but he thought he had done the right thing. He tried to explain to me that he was putting my mom out of her misery. He thought that being down here would make her die a slow, painful death. She had been suffering so much since being here because he refused to let her get medical treatment. But he blamed this place. He blamed me. I sort of screamed at him some more, and then calmed down. Brose came in and explained to my father and I that he could not be here any longer. He was a danger to his own family, and since he didn't agree with the ways of this place, he didn't have to stay any more. He begged them to send him back to District 2, and they're going to. He doesn't really know much about this place. They have been keeping a sharp eye on him since he got here because they knew how he felt about the rebellion. Apparently he hasn't even been allowed to go outside since he's gotten here. He's spent most of his time in the holding cell."

"Wow." I say, shocked with the information, although I pretty much assumed that was why he did it. "So he's allowed to go back home? Why would he want to go back there alone?"

"No idea. But I want him to leave. I don't want him anywhere near my mother or Ryker or Briar." I can hear his voice crack, and I wrap the rest of my body around his, pulling him closer to me, trying to comfort him. He does the same, tangling his legs in mine and tightening his grip on me. We lay in silence for a while and I can feel his breathing slow down. I know he's asleep, so I let myself drift off as well. No one comes to bother us, and we sleep through the day. When I wake up, I realize I didn't have a single nightmare. I look up at Cato and notice he's still sleeping. I admire his facial structure that I've come to memorize over the past few days. I trace the contours of his abdomen muscles and realize I know them almost as well as I know my own body. I smile to myself and snuggle closer to him, breathing him in and taking the time to appreciate what Cato has come to mean to me.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry I've been really sucking at this whole updating thing lately! I've been super busy trying to get everything ready for summer classes and my move in August. But I'm definitely going to try to write every chance I get! I love you all for the reviews and the subscriptions! Thank you for sticking with this! I love to hear your opinions, good or bad.**

Chapter 14

"Rise and shine sleeping beauties! We have a full day ahead of us!" I hear Cato groan next to me and sit up. I open my eyes and turn to see Haymitch staring back at me.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, grumpily.

"Cato's father is on trial today. You two are required to be there. Oh, and Brose wants to speak with you both right after. So get a move on! Trial starts in half an hour." I sit up next to Cato and stretch. He looks at me and smiles, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

"Looks like we slept through the day _and_ night." He laughs, hugging me warmly.

"Looks like it. Are you okay to go to the trial?" I ask, looking up at him questioningly.

"Yes. But I don't know about Briar and Ryker. I really don't want them to be there." He says, looking away and I can see the anger in his eyes. "I just can't believe my father would do something like this. Especially to them. And there's a flaw in his explanation that I just can't get around. Why would he stab my mother, intending on killing her, when he loved her so much that he didn't even trust the doctors here to check her out? It doesn't seem right. I mean, he said he was putting her out of her misery, but there was no emotion in his eyes when he said it. My dad was a hard ass when we were growing up, but he wasn't heartless. He would never kill anyone. Hell, he didn't even train for the games back when he was eligible to be in them. He wanted me to do them, but he was still angry when I volunteered. He said it was a death wish." He shudders, remembering the day of the reaping.

My mind shoots to the games and I remember what Cato said to me in the supply closet of that hospital on our first day together. "Cato, can I ask you something?" I ask, leaning into him.

"Anything." He replies, and I can feel him smiling. I hate to take that smile off his face, but I need to know.

"Why did you say you wanted me to kill you in the arena? Back in that supply closet, you told me you sat down and waited for me to kill you." I look up at him and see that his eyes have clouded over.

"It's complicated, Katniss." He stares off into the dark corner of the room, but I won't let him shut me out.

"You don't think I can handle complicated? Look at us, Cato. We're about as complicated as it gets." I grab his face and turn it towards me. I want him to look me in the eyes so he knows I'm serious.

"Fine. I wanted to die because I was ashamed of what I had become. I killed people without thinking twice. I had trained for it my whole life. All I had ever wanted to do was be in the games, and win them. I guess it never hit me that I would feel something for all those people that I killed. And when I saw the look on your face as I snapped Peeta's neck, all of this became clear to me. I realized that I was a monster and that my whole life was a lie. I became disgusted by the Capitol and the fact that they made these games come off as entertaining. They enjoy watching us die year after year and I finally got fed up with it. I didn't want to be a part of this horrible world any longer. In all honesty, I'm glad that the rebellion picked us up. I would have been miserable back home, now that my eyes are open to the horrors of something that is so glorified in District 2." He stops, his voice cracking with emotion.

I pull myself closer to him than I thought humanly possible. I want to comfort him but I don't know how. I've always felt this hatred towards the Capitol. I thought we had it bad in District 12. But at least we weren't being tricked into loving watching our kids fight to the death. We didn't glorify the games like they did. "I know what you mean." I say, half-hearted, because I do know what he means, but I just can't understand it like he does. "But we're finally free from the Capitol and a full on rebellion is happening. Who knows, maybe they'll be able to overthrow the Capitol and we'll never have to watch another Hunger Game again." I look up at his eyes, searching for something, but he's still gone. "Cato, I'm glad you didn't die in the games. I don't know how I would be able to deal with all of this without you."

He scoffs at me. "You would have Peeta here instead of me."

"That isn't necessarily true, Cato. I don't know where Peeta and I would stand in the real world."

"At least Peeta wasn't a monster. He deserved to live. He deserved to be with you." I can tell my question brought back the deep feelings Cato had during those last few minutes of the game, and I almost wish I never asked him about it.

"You can't say that. Everyone was different in the arena. All of us deserved to live. There's no sense in blaming yourself for something the Capitol made you do. I know how you feel. I killed people too, Cato." I try to comfort him, my voice low and soothing. But he doesn't seem to notice.

"I know that, but still. I just feel so wrong. Like I shouldn't be here, just sitting around doing nothing. The Capitol deserves to pay for what they've done." The anger rises in his voice and my heart drops a little.

"Cato, what are you saying?"

"I think I'm going to join Coin in fighting against the Capitol. I can't sit around in here hiding. I don't know how you can stand it!" He looks at me, not angry with me, but annoyed.

"I can't stand it, but I have to do it for my family. They need me here. So does your family. Especially now."

He looks ahead, silently, as if processing this new point I've made. Then he turns to me, his eyes have softened. "Can we talk about this later? We should head to the trial." He stands up and grabs my hand, pulling me up.

I can't shake the feeling that he's truly thinking about leaving, but I hold his hand tightly, as if it will stop him from thinking. When we get down to the bottom of the spiral hallway, Haymitch is there, looking for us.

"It's about time! The trial is about to start. Hurry up." He says, pushing us into one of the doors to a big conference room. There are a lot of people in here, and I spot Cato's family next to mine.

Prim is trying to calm down Briar, who is sobbing hysterically again. Ryker is sitting straight forward, staring at his dad who is on a chair in the middle of the stage with handcuffs around his wrists. My mother is sitting next to Marigold, who is awake and looking around, in awe of the people chattering nonchalantly around them.

We make our way through the crowd until we reach them. Cato lets go of my hand to hug his mother, and my mother looks up at me and gives me a polite smile. I take a seat next to Prim, and am relieved when Cato sits on my other side. He grabs my hand and I'm glad that our earlier conversation hasn't made him annoyed with me. He takes a deep breath and stares at his father, his eyes narrowing.

I lean in towards him and whisper, "I'm right here with you. Just squeeze my hand if you need to."

He turns to look at me and smiles, kissing my forehead. "I don't deserve you. And I'll try not to almost break your hand like I did yesterday." His cheeks turn red and I realize he's blushing. Cato doesn't blush. I soak up his embarrassment, even though I know I should let him know that my hand is perfectly fine and I didn't mind his squeezing yesterday.

Before I can answer him, Brose wheels himself onto the stage, and grabs a microphone. "Good morning. I'm sorry to have you all in here on such short notice, but our incident yesterday morning needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. As you all know, this man," he gestures to Julius, who squirms under the stares of the crowd, "committed a crime yesterday. Our first thought was that he didn't want to be here, so we were planning on sending him back to District 2. But after a thorough examination last night, it was decided that we cannot send him home. Instead, we are sending him out to District 13 for some deeper examinations. We'll keep you all updated once we know more. Any questions?" Everyone gasps at the mention of District 13, and the whole room is silent.

I look to Cato, who looks confused. I lean in, giving him my ideas. "I think this is what Brose wants to talk to us about once this is over." Cato nods, the confusion clearing his face.

Brose seems to look around the room, searching for any questions, but finds none. "Well, then it's settled. We're making the trip to District 13 tonight. If anyone wants to join us, find me before dinner." And with that, he turns his chair and wheels off the stage. Haymitch spots us in the crowd and waves us over. It's difficult to reach him, as the crowd is starting to depart, but Cato is tall enough to see Haymitch, and leads is in a bee line to him.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Brose is ready for you. He's right through that door." Haymitch points to a door on his left. "I'm going to go round up your family, Cato. They need to hear what he has to say as well."

Cato nods, and we make our way to the door. When we open it, Brose is sitting at the end of the table, like he did on our first day here. He motions for us to sit, and we do. Cato places his hand on mine, and I can feel the sweat on his palms. He's nervous for whatever Brose has to say.

I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous as well. Why would they decide he needed to be sent to 13 instead of back home to 2? Brose hates how Coin runs the place, and I'm sure they would treat Julius quite badly, as he isn't for the rebellion at all.

It feels like forever before the door opens and Marigold is wheeled in, followed by Ryker and Briar. Again, I feel like I shouldn't be here, like I'm invading their family. But none of them seem to even notice I'm here. They take their seats across the table from us, and Brose begins.

"I know you all have questions. I didn't want to disclose any of this information during the trial because it isn't something that we want our people knowing just yet. But since you are his family, you should know this. Julius was not in his right mind when he stabbed you, Marigold. He wasn't him. I don't know exactly how to explain this. Right before we picked you up, your husband was taken by the Capitol. It would have only been for a few days. Do you remember anything like that happening?"

The three opposite us search in their minds for answers, when Ryker's face lights up. "Dad went away for a week, but he sent Mom a letter saying he was going to visit Cato. Remember?" He looks from his sister to his mother, both whom start to remember, nodding their heads.

"Well, while he was in the Capitol, they did a sort of hijacking to him. Do you all know what hijacking is?" He looks around to all of us, and they all nod. I have no idea what it is, but I just nod with them, not wanting to interrupt. "They knew we would take you all to safety here, so they hijacked his brain, making him hate the rebellion a lot more than he should. They made his hatred so strong, that he turned against you all. His brain believed that you all were the enemy and that his mission was to destroy everyone here. He took his time in the beginning, although he had fits of rage quite often. But once he was able to control himself for the most part, he blended in. When he tried to attack Crispin, he was attacking him because of his connection to the rebellion. He used Crispin's attack on you as an excuse. Thank goodness Crispin is a big guy, or your father might have been able to complete his mission by killing him. Anyways, because we know that he's been hijacked, we have to send him to District 13. If he were still himself and in this situation, he would be no danger to us if we took him home. But since the Capitol sent him here on a mission to destroy us, we can't risk him leaking any information to them. And before you worry, District 13 has promised not to harm him. They believe they may have a cure for him, but it will take a while to work. Any questions?"

"So our dad didn't really stab Mom? The Capitol made him do it?" Briar asks, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"We believe that is what happened. We couldn't get much out of him by just questioning him, but there seems to be enough evidence to match our conclusion."

Guilt makes its way across all of their faces as they realize they blamed their father.

"We should have known better." Cato said, too quietly for anyone to hear.

I lean close to him and reassure him. "You did know, remember? You knew something wasn't right."

He nods, and then looks towards his family, trying to read their facial expressions. They all look just as guilty as he did, and I can't help but feel their pain. They misjudged someone they love. But it wasn't their fault.

I'm even angrier with the Capitol than before. How in the world can they justify ripping someone's family apart like this? They apparently don't care who sheds what blood, just as long as they themselves don't have to. It's sickening, really. I don't pay much more attention to what Brose is saying because I'm lost in my own angry thoughts.

"Are you okay, Katniss? You look pale." Cato asks, gently helping me out of my seat. I snap back into reality and realize that we're alone in the room now. I wonder how long our meeting has been over, but I don't ask.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just trying to process all of this." I mumble, looking at the ground. There is still so much anger in my voice and I can tell he knows I'm lying about being okay.

"Come on, let's go for a walk." He offers, pulling me into his side. We walk this way, like we did coming back from our adventure to that beautiful lake which now seems like so long ago. I rest my head on his chest as we walk, trying to relax myself by mirroring my breath with his.

We make it to the mouth of the cave, but we don't venture far. Instead, we walk around to the other side of the lake outside the waterfall and sit down under a few trees. The sun is shining brightly, and it would be such a beautiful day if this morning hadn't happened.

Cato places his arm around me and pulls my head towards his, kissing my forehead. I love this gesture so much, and each time he does this, butterflies flutter around in my stomach. I'm crazy for him, which only makes this whole situation more infuriating. It's almost like the Capitol is messing with me by messing with him. I realize this must all be difficult for him too, but he isn't showing his emotions like I am.

"Are you okay, Cato?" I ask, looking up at him.

He smiles a little before looking back down at me. "I'll be okay. It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" I nod, cuddling closer to him. I breathe in his scent and realize I've become pretty accustomed to it. He smells—well manly is the only way to describe it. I remember Gale always smelled of the woods, and the brief time I spent with Peeta made me notice the faint smell of bread on him, even in the games. But I can't describe Cato's scent. I just know I could pick it out of a crowd now. I smile, thinking of how strange I must seem, sniffing him like I am. I look up at him, hoping he hasn't noticed, although my cheeks are already red from realizing it myself.

He isn't paying attention though. Instead, he's looking out across the lake, thinking hard about something. "What's on your mind?" I ask him softly.

It's like I've snapped him from his trance, and he looks down at me. "I'm thinking of how I can get my revenge on the Capitol. I'm going with them tonight to District 13. It's the right thing to do. I need to keep an eye on my dad, and I would really like to get into the action." He looks at me, as if expecting me to state my opinion.

My heart drops, and I look away from him so he can't see the tears in my eyes. I know it's stupid, but I feel like he's leaving me. I feel like he's putting himself in this danger as a punishment for something he couldn't control. I don't say anything, and he sighs.

"Katniss, I'm not leaving you forever. I promise. I probably couldn't, even if I tried. I'll be back. I just need to know I tried to bring down the Capitol."

"I'm going with you." I blurt out, still looking away from him. I tried to keep my voice from cracking, but I'm sure Cato could tell I'm upset.

"No, you've done enough already. Like you said, your family needs you. My family will need you too." He uses his thumb to pull up on my chin, turning my face so I'm looking at him. I look away, trying not to let him see how upset I am about this. "Katniss, please don't cry. What exactly is making you upset about this? I want to fix it."

"It's nothing." I say, pushing his fingers off of me so I can turn away. He pulls my head back and grips my chin harder, so I can't move.

"Don't do this to me, Katniss. Don't shut me out. Please tell me what's wrong. I don't want to end things like this." But it's too late. I can't help letting the tears fall down my cheeks. He can feel me begin to sob, and pulls me onto his lap. I place my head on his chest and stay like that until I can control my sobbing.

I don't even know why I'm crying so hard. The old me never would have let Cato see me cry, especially now. I'm hurt that he's leaving me. That he's basically going on a death mission. I'm hurt because he doesn't want me to come with him. I shudder, thinking of how the nightmares are going to be unbearable when he leaves. Maybe I can plead insane and they'll medicate me every night. I scold myself, knowing I won't be able to take care of my family and his if I'm doped up all of the time.

While I sob, and even once I'm finished, Cato runs his fingers through my hair, slowly untangling the knotted mess I'm sure it's become. Although we've had everything at our disposal, neither of us has showered since the day we got here. That is now—I count in my head—three days ago. We had that dip in the lake, so we don't stink. But my hair hasn't been dealt with since I shampooed it during my shower. But still, Cato manages to run his fingers through it, making it as smooth as if I actually took care of it.

I have the hiccups, and I know I cried too hard. Cato pulls me off of him just enough to lift my chin. I try to pull away, I don't want him to see my puffy, red eyes. But he doesn't seem to care. He looks into my eyes, making sure he has my attention. "Katniss, you know I care for you more than I should, right? I've known you for, what, a week? But you've become such a big part of my life. I really don't want to leave you, or my family for that matter, but I just have to. I have to do this for me, and I hope one day you'll understand. I promise I won't be gone forever. I'll fight my fight and be right back here with you. Hell, they'll probably send me back here within a week because I know I'm not going to sleep very well without you by my side. I want you to know you mean a lot to me, which is something you shouldn't ever take for granted. Just like you, I normally don't let anyone else in. I've told you things I would never be able to tell anyone else. We've—well, we've done things I've never done with anyone else." He blushes, and so do I, as he hints at our passionate, um—moment the other night. "I will be thinking about you nonstop the entire time I'm gone. Believe me, if I didn't think I had to do this, I wouldn't. Leaving you is not something I want to do. I would love to just replay the other night in that lake over and over again, spending day after day just laying around on rocks and talking with you, swimming with you. And we will do that. I promise. You just have to trust me." He stops, expecting me to say something. I'm speechless. He means so much to me as well, but I didn't think he felt this strongly about me. Cocky Cato is nowhere to be seen, and this sweet, serious Cato that I used to fear being around is making me want to cry again.

"Nine days." I say, not knowing what else to say.

"What?" He asks, confused.

"It's been nine days since we met. A little over a week." I say shyly, aware that I have actually been keeping track.

"Oh, so you've been counting, huh?" He asks, his cocky grin appearing on his face. I'm glad to see it again, having missed it for a while now. Things have been so serious lately, that I have to joke around with him a little, knowing this may as well be the last day I get to spend with him. The war is dangerous and I don't want him to die in battle, although it's a huge possibility. But I can't ruin our last day together, so I suck it up, promising myself that I can cry when he leaves.

"Been counting the days since my life has turned completely upside down and I've fallen for the man with the biggest ego in all of Panem, you mean?" I kid playfully, elbowing him in the side, careful to avoid his healing bullet wound. I remember that he's broken in more than one place, and I look up at his nose, laughing.

"What, now? Trying to bruise my ego some more? Because, as you have said, it's quite a large ego, and it takes a lot to bruise."

"I'm laughing at your nose. How can someone completely shatter their nose, and still have it look perfect?" I touch his face, careful not to put pressure around his nose, tracing the bruises under his eyes.

"Your mom must have done a good job setting it." He says, grabbing his nose as if he's just now remembered it was recently broken. "That and I'm just so impeccably handsome." He grins down at me, laughing to himself. I roll my eyes and laugh with him.

"Oh yes, that must be it." I mutter, pretending to be annoyed with his cocky self. But I have to admire him. Even after all of this horrible stuff has happened, he's still able to keep his humor and his self-assurance.

"I'm glad you agree, babe." He smirks at me, and I smile back. "You only like me for my looks, huh?" He accuses me, pretending to be hurt.

"Darn. You caught me. How did you know?" I say back, guiltily.

"Well, I like me for my looks too. Without them, I'd just be average." He wrinkles his nose and flinches a little, feeling the bruises on his face for the first time since he broke his nose.

"Careful. Don't want to mess up that perfect nose of yours by moving it too much." I lecture, laughing at him as he rubs it gently.

"Oh really? What if I throw you in the lake and mess up that perfect hair of yours? Let's see if you're still laughing then!" He stands up quickly, throwing me over his shoulders. Within seconds, we're both underwater, in about waist deep water. We both come up laughing. I splash him playfully, pretending to be upset about my hair, although it was already pretty awful to begin with. However, all Cato's hard work of pulling the knots out of my hair has made it behave a little better. I try to dunk him, but he's much too strong. He ends up grabbing me and dunking me back into the water with him.

We laugh, joking around in the lake for the rest of the morning, without a care in the world. Cato grabs me and launches me into the middle of the lake a few times. I love the feeling of being in midair, even just for a few seconds. I teach Cato to swim as best as I know how, and by the time the sun is above us, he's doing pretty well.

We hear clapping from the waterfall and turn suddenly, forgetting that we aren't alone in the world.

Effie is sitting on a rock a few yards away from the waterfall, sitting in her bunker attire and her bright heels. I have to admit, it's good seeing her smile. Since we came here, she hasn't quite been herself. She doesn't belong here, but Haymitch insisted we bring her to keep her safe. Cato and I swim over to her, wringing out our clothes as we sit on a rock near her.

"Enjoy the show?" Cato asks, taking off his shirt to let it dry. I try to look away, but I can't help myself. The sun glistens off the water on his body, accentuating his sculpted chest and abdomen. I yearn to touch his chest, but I hold back, remembering Effie is next to us. I keep my clothes on, not wanting to make Effie uncomfortable.

"Of course! I'm envious, actually. I never did learn how to swim either. I'm curious to know how Katniss learned. I've been to District 12 and I can tell you, not many people even know what water is." She huffs, leaning back to soak up the sun.

I ignore her comment, knowing she doesn't really know any better. "My dad and I used to swim at a lake in the woods where we used to hunt."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot you've been a little rebel your whole life. I've got to hand it to you, the rebel life is alright with me." I look at her, shocked. She sees the expression on my face and continues, explaining her statement. "I really did hate seeing you children die in the arena every year. And to tell you the truth, those wigs I wear all the time are awfully itchy. It's nice to be able to go all natural without people gawking at me. I do miss my clothes though. These are just so drab." She picks at her shirt, scrunching up her nose.

Seeing her like this makes me smile, and I join her and Cato and lean back to soak up the sun. Sitting here in silence with two people I disliked going into the games makes me laugh to myself. It's funny how things can change so quickly. I know I judged them before I really knew them, and I make a note to myself not to do that anymore. Neither of them is anything like I thought they would be. Cato is cocky, yes, but also very sweet; nothing like the mindless killing machine I thought he was. And Effie—well, Effie has surprised me the most. I always thought of her as weak and brainless, just following the Capitols orders without a care in the world. But I was wrong about her. She's shown me exactly how strong she can be, being forced to leave the comfort of her life in the Capitol to basically camping out in the woods in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of people who hate her kind. I sigh, taking one more long peek at shirtless Cato before closing my eyes. I don't sleep, but instead I soak up my surroundings; I feel the sun drying my clothes and warming my skin, I hear the sound of the water splashing off the rocks and into the lake, the sound of birds chirping around us, the breeze rustling the branches of the trees above us. And I smile, knowing today will be a good day, even if it's the last good day I'll have for a while.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you all for the amazing reviews/subscriptions/etc. You are all super amazing and I'm glad that you are taking the time to read this! I'm trying really hard to update every night, but sometimes I just get really busy. Well, enough of the excuses, read and enjoy! **

Chapter 15

I'm shaken awake, and I turn, getting ready to deck whoever is waking me. But when he grabs my hand to stop me, I know immediately who it is. Cato laughs quietly, and when I look at him, he puts his finger up to his mouth, and then points towards Effie. Confused, I glance over and see that Haymitch has joined her, and they are both napping on a rock in the sun together.

They both look so much younger when they are sleeping, and I wonder how old Effie is. She can't be that old; she's only been District 12's escort for the last few years. I actually think she started escorting our tributes the first year I was eligible for the reaping. _Wow, she really could be young_. And those little freckles all over her cheeks help make her look even younger.

I look over and Cato is already back on his back, laying in the sun. His shirt has completely dried, it seems he's refused to put it back on. He catches me staring at him and gives me a wide grin, which I return easily. I've given up caring about Cato catching me stare at him. It isn't fair, really. It should be illegal to have a body as good as his.

I shake my head, turning back to study sleeping Effie and Haymitch. I take the time to admire the two of them, knowing they can't see me staring. I smile, noticing that Haymitch has wrapped Effie in his arms, as if he's trying to protect her from everything and anything. It's really sweet. I'm still shocked that he's had the patience to deal with her through this; to take care of her. I have a newfound respect for Haymitch. As little as I know Effie, I know she is pretty set in Capitol ways, which naturally annoys any person who has had to suffer because of the Capitol. I've come to accept Effie, and apparently so has Haymitch. I wonder exactly what they've been up to since we got here. I haven't seen much of either of them. My face flushes as I remember them catching Cato and I in that meeting room. I wonder what they were doing wandering around in empty meeting rooms.

Effie stirs and I quickly turn away. I end up losing my balance and sliding down the rock, but Cato catches me and drags me back up towards him. "You alright there, princess?" He asks, laughing at me.

"I'm fine. Just lost my balance." I say, sticking my tongue out at him. "You know, if you weren't taking over the entire rock, I wouldn't have that problem."

He laughs and pulls me towards him. "Well I can always hold you against me. I promise I'll keep you safe with my big strong muscles." He flexes and I grip his arm, as if testing it out.

"Eh, I might be better off on my own." I shrug, trying to keep the smile from escaping onto my face.

"Oh really? What do you plan on doing if someone attacks you? Trip over stuff until they laugh to death?" He smirks at me.

"I am not that clumsy. I seem to remember a certain someone falling out of a tree because he broke a branch. Now _that_ seems clumsy." I poke his chest playfully.

"That wasn't clumsiness. I'm just so big and strong that the tree couldn't handle me." He says, grinning confidently. I just smile back, absorbing the beauty of his smile. Sure, he smiled during the games. But it was a cruel smile. The smiles I've been getting out of him for the past few days have been so mesmerizing, I'm surprised I've been able to look away long enough to remember to breathe. "What are you smiling about?" He asks, still grinning at me.

I run my hand along his jaw line, tracing the grin on his face. I run my thumb across his lower lip. "I'm really going to miss seeing this smile every day." I keep smiling at him, but tears threaten to break out onto my face.

He grabs my face in his hands, and it makes me feel small. His hands are so large, he could probably just squeeze them together and crush my head, but I know he would never do that. "Oh, baby. I promise I'll come back. I'm going to miss your smile just as much, believe me. I'll probably miss you so much that I'll end up crawling back here in a day or so."

"Why can't I just come with you? I mean, I really want to fight the Capitol, too. They took my dad away. And Peeta. And my whole childhood. My family had to starve." Tears come to my eyes, waiting to break the surface, and my voice cracks with emotion.

"I know, and it makes me so angry knowing how badly they treated you. I would do anything to take all of those horrible memories away from you. But I can't lose you, Katniss. I can't have you fighting on the frontlines with me. For one, I would be so distracted in making sure you're alright that I'd probably end up just getting in the way. Even you being here, I'm going to worry about you every second of every day." His voice is cracking too and I look away. I don't want to see him cry. I know it would break my heart. I sigh, giving up on the idea of me coming with him.

"Okay. Fair enough. But you need to come back to me, as soon as you can. Don't put yourself in any extra danger. The Capitol doesn't deserve to take any more lives, especially yours." I look up at him, defeat in my eyes. He hugs me close and I breathe in his smell again, trying to get it stuck in my nose forever.

"Why don't you two get a room?" Haymitch grunts from behind me. I turn around and laugh at the sight. He looks uncomfortable, trying to stretch the joints that were kinked laying down on the rock with Effie. I notice she's stretching as well, but the look on her face is peaceful and relaxed.

"I could say the same to you. We saw you cuddling over there. Don't even deny it." I shoot back. Haymitch glares at me and I can see Effie's cheeks turning red, although she won't look in my direction.

"Respect your elders, child. What time is it anyways?" He asks, looking around for the sun. My stomach grumbles loudly and everyone turns to me. I grin as I hear Cato chuckling next to me.

"It sounds like lunch time to me." He calls out cheerfully, hopping off the rock to grab his shirt. Sadly, he puts it back on and heads back to the rock to help me off. Effie and Haymitch follow, and we head back into the bunker down to the cafeteria. It seems packed, and when I look up at the clock I realize it really is lunch time. We spent a lot longer out there than I thought. And we skipped breakfast. No wonder my stomach growled. I don't even remember eating yesterday at all. Well, so much for the hunger games being over, I snort to myself. Life itself is making me starve.

We all silently stand in line and Cato comes up behind me, wraps his arms around my waist, and places his head on top of mine. He yawns lazily, causing me to yawn as well.

"My feet are killing me." I hear Effie grumble.

"Then take your dang shoes off, woman." Haymitch grunts back, although he says it more playfully than grumpily.

"And walk around barefoot? Are you serious?" She sounds disgusted, but I can hear her taking them off, one by one.

"See, sweetheart? It isn't that bad. And I'm sure it's a hell of a lot healthier for you to not wear those excessively high shoes. They've got to be bad for your back." He nags.

"They gave me great posture. Maybe we should get a pair of them for you. Stop slouching, Haymitch." She nags back. He sighs and I can hear him straighten up.

"Now I know why I always get really drunk before the games. You're driving me insane. I need to find a good bottle of wine."

I turn to see her playfully slapping him. "Oh really? Well maybe you should find two bottles. I don't know how I ever stood being around your slouchy, grumpy self sober. I deserve an award or something." She shoots back at him.

I'm amazed. I had no idea that Effie had a sense of humor. I thought she was all business all the time. Manners and punctuality described Effie to a T before this week.

She leans in towards Haymitch and he places his arm around her shoulders lazily. He whispers something into her ear and she laughs. I know I'm staring, but they seem lost in their own little world, so I don't feel like a total creep.

Cato snaps me back to reality by turning me around to face him. I hadn't even realized he had taken his head off of mine. "I have an idea." I raise an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue. "What if we write letters to each other every day I'm gone? They have to have some way to get mail from here to there, right? And if not, we can just save them until I come back."

"I'm not very good with words." I say sheepishly, although the idea seems really romantic and makes the butterflies in my stomach come alive.

"I'm not either. It's like we're perfect for each other." He winks at me. "What do you say? I'll scrounge up some paper for us before I leave. Think of it this way, it will be like us getting to talk to each other every day, telling each other everything that happened so we don't miss out on something."

I look up at him and grin. "Why, it seems like I've got a romantic on my hands." I tease. He shrugs, agreeing. "Yes. I'd love to do it. Do you know when you're supposed to leave yet?"

"No idea. I still have to talk to Brose about it." He looks out around me and his face lights up. "Oh! There he is. I'll be right back. Save my spot?" He smiles at me before kissing my forehead and ducking under the rope. I watch how he gracefully makes his way over to Brose and sits down with him. It is amazing how light he is on his feet, considering how large he really is.

They talk for what seems like forever as I stand uncomfortably alone. Haymitch and Effie are behind me, but I don't want to interrupt whatever it is that's going on between them. Instead, I try to figure out what Cato and Brose are talking about. Their conversation doesn't seem very tense, as I would expect it to be. But when it's over, they shake hands and nod to each other. He quickly makes his way back over to me and ducks under the rope, placing his arms around my waist.

"Damn. I missed you already. This is going to be hard." He jokes, but I want to know what they were talking about.

"So, what are the details?" I ask, placing my hands on his forearms.

Cato sighs, knowing I'm not going to joke around with him until he spills all the details to me. "We're leaving around 2am, which means I still get to sleep with you for a little while. He said he would bring by paper and a pen when he comes to collect me. He says they make trips to District 13 weekly, so if I don't like it there, I only have to stay a week. But they also need time to train me before I can go out into the action. I'm in shape, and I know my way around swords, but I've never held a gun in my life. So it could be a while before I come back. But Brose promised me that during their weekly visits, he would pick up my letters and drop off yours. So it will all be okay. And maybe you can come visit me on one of those trips out there. I'll have to talk with Brose about it though."

He looks down at me, hope in his eyes. I smile at him and pull him close to me. "You know, I'm really going to miss you when you're gone." I say, exhaling into his chest.

"I'll miss you more." He whispers in my ear. Then the line moves forward and we get our food. As we're searching for a table to sit at, Ryker catches our eyes. He waves frantically at us, and we laugh as we head over. Briar doesn't seem too pleased to see us, but she just goes back to eating.

"Where have you guys been all day?" Ryker asks, scooting close to Cato before he can completely sit down. I take a seat next to Briar, who seems to lean away from me. Wow, she really doesn't like me anymore, does she? I can't really blame her. I've been taking up a lot of her big brother's time since we got here. Ryker doesn't seem to notice though.

"We went for a swim in the lake out front." He says and Ryker's eyes widen.

"They let you out on the lake?" He exclaims, excitement in his face. "They didn't trust us to explore outside. Maybe now that they realized Dad really isn't bad, they'll let us explore more."

Cato smiles at his brother and I soak up this beautiful moment. "I'm sure they will! Hey, maybe you and Briar can come with Katniss and me out there later! We can all go for a swim!"

Ryker's face lights up, and then he pauses. "Can we bring Prim too?" He asks, blushing a little.

Cato puts his brother in a headlock and rubs his head. "Oh kid, you can't go pulling moves on my girlfriend's little sister!"

Ryker pulls his head out of his brother's armpit and gives him a face. "I don't like her like that. Jeez! That's gross, Cato! She's just a friend." Cato laughs, as do I. Even Briar cracks a smile as Cato continues to tease Ryker.

But then the mood changes. Everyone is quiet for a few minutes, and Cato speaks up. "So I'm guessing Mom told you that I'm going to District 13 with Dad." They both nod and he continues. "I want you both to know how much I love you. I just need to make sure they take care of Dad. And I need to make sure the Capitol pays for everything they've done to us. But I promise I'll come back as soon as I can." Neither of them says anything, but I can see the hurt in Ryker's eyes and the anger in Briars. "Don't worry, though. Katniss promised me that she would look out for you two. Heck, maybe she can take you on a hike to see this really cool lake we found the other day."

"We don't need a babysitter, Cato. We did perfectly fine before you got here." Briar glares at him, and then at me.

"Briar, don't be like that. I didn't mean she's going to babysit you. But you know how a lot of people feel about us being here. We didn't have a harsh life like them. The Capitol treated us much better. They all think we are against the rebellion. Hopefully that will change with time, but until then, I want you both to go to Katniss if you have any problems whatsoever, understood?" He looks at them both sternly, waiting for them each to nod before continuing. "While mom is in the infirmary, you two are going to stay with Katniss and Prim. I don't like the idea of you being alone in that room." Briar starts to object, but Cato holds his hand up.

Ryker nods, seeming to process all of this before hugging his brother tightly. He lets go and the sad look on his face is gone. "Can we find Prim now? I really want to go swimming!" Cato grins, and Ryker's excitement makes me smile too. Cato nods and we all stand up, taking our trays to the trash can. We head for the infirmary, knowing that is where Prim would most likely be. When we spot her, Ryker runs up to her and excitedly tells her the plan.

She looks almost weary of the idea, but then nods her head and follows him.

"Katniss!" She says, hugging me. "Can we bring Buttercup outside? He's probably dying of loneliness." She looks at me with sad eyes and I have to say yes.

"If that stupid cat runs away, we aren't going to go look for him." I say, and she gives me a dirty look.

"He isn't stupid. He's really smart, actually. Maybe if you were nicer to him, you would know that." She races off ahead of us, followed by Ryker and Briar. At least the idea of swimming and playing with Buttercup seems to have cheered up Briar a little.

I link my hands with Cato's and lean towards him. We follow them silently and they've already got Buttercup ready to go by the time we reach my hallway. The kids excitedly chatter as we make our way out. Apparently none of them have been outside since they've got here. It makes sense why though. Ryker and Briar weren't allowed to, and Prim really isn't an outdoorsy person. But even see seems excited to go swimming. When we get out to the lake, the kids all squeal with excitement. Prim drops Buttercup, who quickly sprints for the nearest rock, as far away from the waterfall as he possibly can get without losing sight of Prim. Before we even reach the lake, Prim, Ryker and Briar have all stripped down to their underwear and undershirts and are running into the lake, splashing and screaming.

Cato and I strip down to our underclothes as well, and I stare at his body, longingly. I know I shouldn't touch him too much in front of them. It would set a bad example. As I'm thinking this, Cato picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, running into the lake after them. When we get into the water, we realize none of them actually knows how to swim. Prim was much too young when my father took me out into the woods to swim, so she never learned. Cato, who now thinks he's an expert from our earlier lesson, decides that we should teach them all to swim. Briar refuses, and sits over by a rock near the waterfall, just watching us. Ryker catches on quickly and then cheers on Prim as she slowly gets it as well. After about an hour or so, we're all swimming and laughing. Cato throws Ryker and Prim into the deep part of the lake and they love it.

"I can't throw you guys anymore! I'm exhausted! Why don't you go jump off that rock into the water for a while?" He asks, out of breath. They don't mind though. As fun as being thrown is, jumping off a large rock into the water sounds just as fun. Cato swims over to Briar and I decide to let them have their time alone.

I join Ryker and Prim, teaching them how to do cannon balls and dives. We're exhausted from climbing up and down the rock within a few minutes, and decide to try to catch the fish in the water instead. I show them how to make a net that I learned how to do during the training before the games. We don't have much luck, but at least it's keeping them entertained.

I glance over at Cato and Briar, and see that he's teaching her how to swim. They are laughing and splashing each other and having a good time. I smile, glad that she isn't mad at him for spending too much time with me.

"Katniss, we're hungry." Prim says, tugging on my undershirt. I look around and spot some berries not too far from the lake.

"Hang on a second. I'll go get you a snack. You two should lay out and dry your clothes for a while. They nod, the exhaustion finally hitting them. I walk barefoot through the woods, my memories hitting me with each step I take. I'm still able to move silently through the woods, like I used to before the games. When I hunted with Gale. My heart aches and I realize that I do miss my friend. As close minded as he is, I miss him. Maybe if he spends time with Cato over in 13, he'll see that Cato isn't a bad guy at all. I reach the berries and smile, recognizing them immediately. They're just like the berries Gale and I used to snack on while we waited for our prey to come by.

I grab handfuls of the berries and head back. Briar and Cato have joined the other two and are laying out on some grass by the lake. I plop down next to Prim, dropping my spoils on the ground. They all dig in immediately and we laugh as our mouths turn blue from the berries. It seems like we've spent the whole day out here, when Cato stands up, getting us ready to leave.

Ryker comes up and grabs my hand. I look down at him and he's smiling at me. "Thank you for everything." I look at him confused. "I mean, the berries and the swimming and all of that. And for making my brother happy. I've never seen him this happy before." I grin, tugging him closer to me so I can put my arm around his shoulder.

"You're very welcome! We can come out here any time you want! Maybe we can even explore a little!" His face lights up and he runs off to tell Briar and Prim the exciting news. Cato entwines his fingers into mine and kisses my forehead.

"You're going to be really good for them." He says, placing his cheek on my head.

"Maybe for Ryker. I don't know about Briar though. I'm not sure she likes me too much." I look down, trying to hide that I'm actually hurt by it.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I had a talk with her and we straightened everything out. She was just jealous that I was spending so much time with you. But I promised her that as soon as I get back, I would take her on a hike so we can spend a whole day together. And I made her promise me to give you a chance. I know she'll love you once she gets to know you better." I smile up at him, amazed by how great he is.

We head down for dinner and the kids run off, sitting at a table with some other kids their age, whom they must have met before we got here. Cato and I sit alone, enjoying each other's company in silence. I'm trying to enjoy our last hours together, although I keep thinking that soon he's going to board a hovercraft and head towards District 13. We finish dinner quickly, and he yawns.

I look up at him and yawn too. "Stop it! Yawns are contagious!" I playfully swat him.

"I'm so tired! That nap earlier today did nothing. We sleeping in your room or mine?" I look at him thoughtfully.

"How about yours? You'll get one more night with your siblings and then when they wake up in the morning, I'll be there with them." I suggest, and he grins at me.

"You know, if I wasn't the most amazing person in the world, I would say you were. But don't get me wrong, you're a close second." He laughs at me as I try to act offended. He places his lips on mine and I melt, forgetting about the clever comeback I wanted to say.

We make it back up to their room and see its empty. It's early, and the kids were still in the middle of their exciting story when we left, so we have a little time.

He looks around the room and then back at me, wiggling his eyebrows. I laugh at him and he laughs back, pressing me against the wall. And all of a sudden our mood is serious. The air feels thicker as the passion grows. I kiss him hard, running my hands through his hair. He presses me harder against the wall and I wrap my legs around him. Before I know it, we're repeating what we did the other night. For some reason, the thought that someone might walk in at any time makes it all seem more intense than the first time. We know each other's bodies better than ever, and when we finish, we're both out of breath.

We dress quickly, knowing we're running out of time. Then we lay next to each other and he wraps his arm around my waist.

"I thought you were tired." I quip and he chuckles.

"I thought I was too. But now, I'm really tired. And I want to enjoy one more bit of peaceful sleep with you before I have to go."

I frown, not wanting to be reminded of his upcoming departure. I roll over so I'm facing him, and I kiss him softly. I refuse to let myself cry, but I look him in the eyes. "Please be careful." I say. He nods, and pulls me closer to him. And soon, I'm asleep in his arms for the last time in who knows how long.

**A/N: Little side note here, they had sex again. That is as best as I can explain it without going overboard. I'm in the middle of reading the second book to the series **_**Fifty Shade of Grey**_**, which you may have heard, is quite graphic in the whole sex area. So cut me a little slack :P I wish I could make their sex scenes more romantic but I can't do that without going into too much detail, and that would ruin my whole M rating.. sorry ya'll! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! I'm glad to know I'm not pushing the M rating boundaries Maybe you guys will get a nice surprise in another few chapters or so! I'm glad you guys are all enjoying this so much and I love your feedback! Keep doing what you do and I'll keep writing these lovely chapters. **

**P.S. This chapter doesn't have much action in it, and I tried to spice it up. I promise there won't be many more like it. I just had to figure out how to fill the gap I had in my ideas. Let me know what you think about it! Happy reading!**

Chapter 16

I wake up, searching the bed for Cato, but he must have already left. My heart aches a little, wishing he would have woken me up before he left. I glance around the dark room and make out the forms of Briar and Ryker in the bunk across from me. They're sleeping soundly and I smile. At least their brother's absence isn't going to put a damper their sleep too much.

I sigh, rolling back down onto the bed. Maybe I'll be able to get a few more hours of sleep. But I worry, knowing the nightmares come when I'm alone. I wish I could go walk around, maybe make that hike to the lake where Cato and I spent that night. It seems like that was forever ago, although it was really only few nights ago. But I know I can't. I told Cato I would look after his siblings, and it would be hard to do that from miles away.

I pull the covers up to my chin and catch a whiff of Cato's scent. I smile, wrapping the blanket around me as tight as I can, just inhaling him. I miss him already.

Sleep doesn't come to me easily. I toss and turn for what seems like hours. The room slowly begins to light up. I realize they must have made these lights brighten like the rising sun. My peaceful sleep with Cato the past few days here have made me sleep right through this. I'm actually glad I slept so crappy, knowing if I didn't I would have missed seeing this.

I watch as the lights grow brighter and brighter, until I can tell it's actually a normal time to be awake. I sit up and stretch, making sure I'm being quiet. I don't want to wake Briar or Ryker. They look so peaceful, and I know this day will be hard on them. They just got their brother back and now he's left them again. I rub my eyes as they focus on the paper Cato left me for the letters. There's writing on the top one, and I jump up to read it.

My heart skips a beat as I realize who it's from. Cato left me a note before he left. I grin to myself and crawl back into the bed where a few hours ago, I fell asleep in his arms. I cuddle with the blanket that smells like him, and begin to read the note.

_Katniss,_

_I wanted to wake you when I left, but you looked so peaceful. I decided not to wake up my siblings for the same reason. Even though they've been through such horrible things recently, I didn't want to break that spell they were under. I already miss you and I haven't even left the room yet. I can't wait to get there just so I can start writing you another letter. I wish there was a way we could talk every day, but I know that's hoping for too much. I hope I'm not making the wrong decision by leaving you and my family. But I know you'll watch out for them. My mother is a strong woman, but it seems like your mother is taking great care of her and I'm thankful for that. Ryker adores you, and Briar does too, she just has an odd way of showing it. I adore you too, more than you know. Please be careful and stay out of trouble. I want you in one piece when I get back. And I know it will be hard to sleep, believe me, I'm dreading my first night alone here. But just try to remember that first kiss we had, outside your door at the hospital. Even back then, I knew we had something. The fire in that kiss, that was supposed to be fake, made my heart stop. And ever since then, my feelings for you have just been becoming stronger. I have never been happier than I was that night when we went to the lake. Those waterfalls were amazing, but I couldn't even take my eyes off you long enough to appreciate them. It seems like so long ago that we were in our own little world. I plan on replaying every little detail in my head any time I start to really miss you. Looks like I'm going to be turned on a lot while I'm gone. Haha Well, Brose is rushing me to hurry up. Sorry if it's hard to read. Miss you already. _

_XO Cato_

_P.S. Please tell Ryker and Briar that I love them and that they better behave. I want you to tell on them to me if they do anything bad. _

I'm smiling from ear to ear, but tears are falling silently down my cheeks. I miss him so much already. I'm beginning to wish that this is all going to be a huge joke, and that he'll jump out from behind something any second, laughing with that beautiful smile on his face. My heart aches, and I can't believe I miss him as much as I do. Now I know why they kept me medicated so long after the Hunger Games.

I shake my head. No, Cato isn't dead. Peeta was. That's why I was so hysterical. But Cato is alive and well, and I'm going to get to enjoy his letters every week. This cheers me up a little and I start to get up again. I hear stirring from the bunk across from me and look up. Ryker is smiling at me from his bed.

I smile back. "Well, good morning, Ryker."

He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and sits up. "Good morning Katniss. Did Cato leave already?"

"Yeah. They came to get him around 2am. He left me a note saying he didn't want to wake us up. We all looked too peaceful. _And_, I'm supposed to tell you two that he loves you and to behave yourselves. I'm to report to him if either of you get into any trouble." I shake my finger at him playfully and he puts an innocent look on his face.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm an angel." I throw a pillow at him and he laughs. He reminds me so much of Cato. So does Briar, who is now waking up and glaring at us.

"Why are you guys awake already?" She yawns, sitting up.

"It's the start of a beautiful day! I was thinking after breakfast we could go exploring. What do you think?" I ask, excited. Ryker jumps out of his bed, ready to drag us to breakfast. Briar even smiles a little. "Alright, I just have to go check on my mom and Prim, and change my clothes. Meet you down in the cafeteria?"

Ryker nods quickly, dragging his sister out of bed. She grumbles, but obliges. I laugh as I close the door on them, heading back to my own room.

Surprisingly, my mother and sister are still in there, watching Buttercup. They look up at me and smile.

"Long time, no see, honey." My mother says. I smile at her, knowing I need to give her a chance. She screwed up before, but it looks like she's been extra strong for Prim since I left for the games.

"Sorry, I had to say goodbye to Cato." She gives me a knowing look and I blush, hoping she isn't that knowing. "He asked me to watch over Briar and Ryker until their mother gets better enough to go back to their room."

"Oh, honey, that's really sweet of you. But I hope you know it will be a while. We've been running a lot of tests on her and there's a good chance we can get her tumor out of her brain safely. But we have to do a lot more tests before we can start."

"That's fine. I don't mind spending the night with them. And I promise I'll come see you every day in the infirmary."

She looks at me and smiles. Prim glances up too. "Are you in love with Cato?" She asks bluntly. Oh, how I love how she gets right to the point.

"It's kind of too soon to know, don't you think? I mean, I like him a lot." I stammer, becoming embarrassed. I decide to change the subject. "Oh yeah, I came in here to ask if you wanted to join us for an adventure!"

Her face lights up, but then she stops, looking at our mother. She nods, giving Prim permission. I feel bad, knowing I'm taking Prim away from her studies in the hospital. But soon, they are going to start up a school here, and then we won't have much time for adventures. "Where are we going?" She asks, excitedly, jumping off the bed and scaring Buttercup.

He slinks away, glaring at me and I stick my tongue out at him. _Looks like I win this round, Buttercup_. Prim rushes me as I change, and we basically run down to the cafeteria.

When we get our food and sit down with Briar and Ryker, they've already almost finished their breakfast. They rush us through ours, and within minutes we're reaching the mouth of the cave.

We slowly make our way to the hidden lake Cato and I found, stopping every now and then to pick flowers and chase little critters. When we finally make it there, I realize I should have packed a lunch for us. I'm hoping my mother let Marigold know what we're up to. I sigh, looking around for something to eat. I spot a few bushes of berries, and some plants that I know are edible. I'm sure Prim could find a few too.

As soon as the lake comes into our view, they all start sprinting for it. I'm left behind them, picking up the clothes they shed on the way. Although I'm not much older than them, I feel disconnected from them, from the way they run carelessly in their under clothes. The way they laugh and splash each other; without a care in the world. I smile at them, glad they still have some of their innocence left. The games didn't take that from me though; the Capitol did.

And now the Capitol has taken Cato away from me too. They've made him angry enough to want to fight back. I wonder how he's holding up in District 13, but my thoughts are interrupted when three wet bodies begin dragging me towards the water.

I laugh, pushing them off. I strip down to my under clothes and join them. I'm not as strong as Cato, so I can't throw them like he does. But I am an amazing climber, and find the perfect places for us to jump off into the refreshing water. I lose myself in our playing, dunking Prim underwater and spitting water at Ryker.

We spend most of the early afternoon there, and when we get hungry, Prim and I teach them what kind of plants are edible and which ones aren't. I lay out on the rock that Cato and I laid out on after our night in the lake, wishing he was next to me.

Once our bellies our full and our underclothes are dry, we head back. We make it back just in time for dinner and I sit silently, smiling as I listen to them talk excitedly about today's adventure.

I'm glad they had fun at the lake. I had fun as well. Almost took my mind off of Cato. But still, I can't help but feel giddy as I make my way back up to his room so I can write him my first letter.

_Cato,_

_Your goodbye letter made me cry, but in a good way. But I really wish you would have woken me up. I miss you so much already. Today, I took Briar, Ryker and Prim to our lake. They had a blast. Prim and I taught them about edible plants, something you probably could have learned a thing or two about as well. I hope you're settling in well in District 13. Have you seen Gale? If not, I'd avoid him. He isn't very fond of you. My mother updated me on your mother's health. She's recovering well from the stab wound, and they've been doing a lot of tests on her brain. My mother thinks they'll be able to remove it, but they want to run more tests before they try. How is your father doing? Have they figured out how to make him better? God, I hate this small talk thing. I want to be in your arms right now. I want you to have been here today so I don't have to explain any of this to you. But I know this is something you have to do. Don't worry about me or your family. We'll be safe here, waiting for you to return. And to your suggestions about what to think about when I miss you too much, believe me; I already replay that in my head non-stop. ;)I can't wait for your letters to come. _

_XO Katniss_

I smile, happy with what I wrote. And I go to bed quickly, exhausted from the long hike and all of the swimming in the sun. I have a few nightmares, but nothing too serious.

Life goes on pretty much like normal for the next few days. I wake up, eat breakfast with Prim and Briar and Ryker, take them on new adventures, come home, eat dinner, write Cato letters and fall asleep. I've become better about being prepared, and by the third day, Greasy Sae has sack lunches prepared for us. Kids are slowly starting to join us, intrigued by being outdoors and learning new things.

Before a week has passed, Brose comes to me with an offer.

"Katniss, I've noticed how the kids have been disappearing for hours during the afternoon."

"Oh, sorry." I mutter, hoping I'm not going to get into too much trouble. They're really lenient about the going outside, but I don't think they really expected a group of kids exploring daily.

"No, don't be sorry. I actually wanted to offer you a teaching position."

I look at him confused. "What?"

"Kind of like a wilderness survival class. I saw you during the games, Katniss. You're very knowledgeable in that sort of thing. With a war raging against the Capitol, it would be nice to educate our people in that sort of thing. Don't you agree?"

"I—I'm not much of a teacher." I spit out, still shocked that he's offering me a teaching position instead of scolding me.

"I've heard the exact opposite, actually. Kids have been raving on and on about how you and your sister have taught them about all sorts of things like edible plants and traps for catching animals. I know you were just doing it to entertain them on your little adventures, but it's really useful information." He's looking up at me, as if expecting me to agree, but I shift away uncomfortably. "You wouldn't just be teaching children, though. It would be basically everyone in the bunker. We all really could use a little more knowledge in survival techniques. I could even ask Haymitch to co-teach with you, seeing as you two are the most experienced in that situation."

I nod, still taking it all in. "Um, sure, I guess. It would be nice to teach people how to survive. At least I would be helping in some way, right?" I begin to accept this idea, thankful that I'm not as useless as I thought I would be around here. Brose smiles, glad that I've accepted his offer. He wheels off, saying something to me, but I don't hear him.

Instead, I go up to my new room and start writing Cato a letter, explaining what just happened to me. I've written more letters than there have been days, but I don't care. Right now, it's my only collection to Cato. I finish my letter quickly, and then stuff it in an envelope with the rest of the letters. Brose has given me a schedule of when they make their trips to District 13, and they're supposed to make one tonight. That means it has been exactly seven days since I've seen Cato.

My heart aches as I long for him to be near me, to feel his touch on my skin, his breath on my neck; to hear his laughter and see his perfect smile.

But thankfully, I'll be getting letters from him tomorrow, and that cheers me up a bit. I race back down to the cafeteria, and spot Brose chatting with Crispin. I smile at Crispin, who I haven't seen since that day at the lake. He smiles back.

"Crispin here is going to District 13 with me tomorrow. Looks like he's planning on joining the troops." Brose looks sad, and I feel his pain. As much as I hate the Capitol, I don't want to lose anyone else just to fight a war against them.

"Oh. Well—um—be careful." I stammer, trying not to look too upset. He reminds me so much of Peeta that it's almost hard to be around him. And I would be devastated if he died out there. Sayer doesn't need to be left alone here. "What about Sayer?" I ask, wondering how he'll be able to stand being here alone.

"I was actually asking Brose about that. He told me about your little wilderness survival training class and I think Sayer should definitely take it. I'm sure you could tell from Peeta that none of us had ever really been out in the wild before."

I nod, laughing, remembering how hard it was to hunt with Peeta around. "That sounds like a great idea." I say cheerfully. I'd love to get to know him better anyways. Then I turn to Brose. "Here are my letters to Cato. He should be sending some back with you." I flush, embarrassed that he knows we're sending letters to each other and excited that Cato will get to read my letters soon.

I can hardly sleep, knowing that tomorrow afternoon, I'll be able to read the words that Cato wrote, just for me! I toss and turn all night, and decide not to take everyone out on an adventure today. Instead, I take everyone out to the lake in front of our bunker entrance, and help them learn how to swim with ease. My group has grown from Prim, Briar and Ryker, to about a group of thirteen people. There are a few adults, but most are still kids that Prim has recruited. Everyone is eager to learn, and I soon realize that no one, except for an older man from District 4, knows how to swim.

It's exhausting work, and I don't even realize that Haymitch is watching us, until he waves me over. I hand over Haliea, a little girl who I'm guessing is about six or seven, to Briar, who has become somewhat of an expert at swimming.

I jog over to Haymitch, wringing out my hair.

"I have some letters for you, Sweetheart. And I must say, some of them are pretty _hot_." He wiggles his eyes at me and I glare at him.

"You didn't read them, did you?" I exclaim, ripping the letters from his hands.

He laughs at me and shakes his head. "Of course I didn't. But with that reaction, I'm thinking I should have." He winks at me and walks away.

I hurry off to a rock under a shady tree, and begin opening the letters. He dated his. _Damn, he's smart._ I make a mental note to start dating mine too from now on.

_Tuesday_

_Katniss,_

_God, it feels like it's been so long since I left you in my bed, but it's only been a few hours. I'm now settled in my own room at District 13. It doesn't seem too bad, but they're really strict. You'd hate it here. They stamp our schedules onto our arms, and expect us to show up to everything on time. I could just see you completely ignoring it. I wish I could ignore it, but if I want to be part of their army, I need to be on my best behavior. My room has another bed, and I'm really curious as to who my roommate is going to be. I'm so excited for Brose to head back here in a week so I can get your letters. I miss you way too much already. And I know you miss me. Who wouldn't miss this beautiful face? I wish I could send you a picture of my face, just to make you feel better. Anyways, I'm about to go meet with Coin and start my training. They seem very excited to have me fighting with them. Hope you're doing okay. _

_XO Cato_

_P.S. How are my mom and siblings doing? Can you let them know I miss them already too?_

_Wednesday_

_Katniss_

_Wow, I'm beginning to hate it here already. Coin is a total bitch (excuse my language, but that's the only word I have to describe her). She's cold and rude and I get the feeling she really doesn't care if I live or die. I met Plutarch, who used to be one of the game makers. I guess he was supposed to be in line after Crane. Who knew we had so many Capitol citizens on our side? Anyways, I've met a few of the guys I'll be fighting with, and they're not so bad. I think you would even like some of them. Like Boggs. He's the silent but deadly type, but I can tell he's actually a human being deep down inside. I ran into your buddy Gale. He sure doesn't like me, does he? Was he good friends with Peeta or something? He seemed to be slowly killing me with his eyes. But I couldn't help but smile at him. His eyes remind me so much of yours. I miss your eyes. And your face. And your neck. And everything else about you. I even miss the way you just cut down my ego. _

_Dreaming of you every night,_

_XO Cato_

_Thursday_

_Katniss,_

_Training is so intense. They should have trained us like this for the games. I'm so unbelievably sore. I wish you were here to rub out all the kinks in my muscles. ;) I hope you're doing fine back there. Ryker and Briar aren't giving you too much trouble, are they? Just to let you know, Briar's birthday is in a few weeks. She won't let anyone know, but she would be devastated if no one remembered. I'll send you something to give to her for me when it gets closer. Any news on my mom? My dad isn't doing any better. They've tried so many different things, but it just seems to be getting worse. He's closing down on us, and won't even speak anymore. It's hard seeing him like this. It makes me so angry. I'm glad I came here to fight with 13 against the Capitol. It makes me feel like I'm actually doing something useful. Anyways, I have a long day ahead of me. Miss you._

_XO Cato_

_Friday_

_Katniss,_

_I was never much of an outdoorsy guy until I met you. Now I crave to be outdoors. But they've been teaching me to shoot. We go outside for our exercises and then come straight back in here. You wouldn't believe how large this place is. I should have explained it before, but I'll explain it now. The Capitol did blow up District 13, but since a lot of their stuff was underground, they survived. There are a lot of refugees here now, as well. I think a few of them are going to go back with Brose. They don't agree with this whole fighting thing. Anyways, this bunker is HUGE. Like I've gotten lost so many times! And I don't even know how many levels there are. It isn't bright and cheery like our bunker. It's dark and cold. But the cool thing is, they have underground fields for food. They even have hangers full of military aircrafts. It's pretty awesome. We would have a field day exploring this place. There are so many places for us to hide! ;) Well, another long day ahead of me tomorrow, so I better keep this short. I miss you SO much. It's crazy how important you've become to me in such a short time. _

_XO Cato_

_Saturday_

_Katniss,_

_I don't have much time to write, but they're taking me on a night exercise tonight. I'm kind of excited, except Gale is going with us. He's now in my unit. I'm not afraid of him, but I really don't want to fight with him. I have no issue with him, although he has a major issue with me. Anyways, wish me luck. Miss you so much. Dream of me ;) _

_XO Cato_

_Sunday_

_Katniss, _

_Please don't get mad. Gale and I fought. It was pretty bad. He came up to me and started yelling. I tried to ignore him, but he really set me off. He did throw the first punch, but I was stupid enough to punch back. So now, our punishment is sharing a room together. Whoopee. If you don't get any more letters from me, it's because one of us has killed the other. So I'll either be locked up or dead. That jerk just rubs me the wrong way. I'm sleeping with one eye open tonight, but I'll still dream of you. I can't wait for your letters. Miss you._

_Monday_

_Katniss,_

_So they decided it wasn't a good idea for Gale and I to share a room anymore. We didn't fight again, but neither of us slept. Our commanding officer is really pissed at us, and is forcing us to stay on watch tonight. I really hope everything is going much better for you back there. The only good news I've had today is that your letters are coming tomorrow. Oh, and we're going to see some action soon. Maybe as soon as next week. The Capitol is starting to kill innocent people, just for the fun of it. They think it's going to calm down the districts, but it's just making them all angrier. We have a few rescue missions lined up soon, and they think I'm ready. I promise I won't endanger myself more than I have to. I want nothing more than to come back to you and hold you in my arms. I can't wait to kiss you again. _

_XO Cato_

_Tuesday_

_Katniss, _

_I loved getting your letters. You didn't date them, but I think I figured out the right order. I'm glad you found something fun to do with your time. It's really funny how people are all starting to tag along. And I think you will be amazing at teaching them all of that stuff. I wish I could be there. You're right; I definitely could have used some of those skills in the games. Then I wouldn't have had to depend on that food supply so much. I probably wouldn't have had to kill anyone. I'm so glad that my mother is doing better. I'm sure she's in good hands. You'll have to let me know when they do the surgery on her. Maybe they'll let me come back to visit. And thanks for the warning about Gale. Too bad it's a little too late. But, on the bright side, we're no longer glaring at each other. They still keep putting us on duty together though, which irritates him. I'm over it. I just wish he would be too. Oh, and you'll never guess who my new roommate is. It's Crispin. Ha. He's actually a really decent guy. I was surprised when he shook my hand. And then he joked about my nose and I decided to like the guy. He really does remind me of Peeta though, which kind of sucks. But I deserve to live with this guilt, and I will do so gracefully. God, getting your letters made me miss you so much more. I need to be there. I need to hold you. I just want to see you laugh. Or even do that little pouty thing you do when you're pretending you're mad at me. I miss everything about you, Katniss. _

_XO Cato_

I finish reading the letters, and then read over each one about a hundred more times. Too excited to go back to teaching people how to swim, I race to my room to reply to him. Being lonely for a whole week is almost worth it, getting to read these letters. I can almost hear Cato's voice speaking to me through the letters. I put them in a safe spot in a drawer next to my bed and begin to write back to him, a goofy smile plastered on my face the whole time. 


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thank you guys SO much for all the reviews and subscriptions! You're all pretty much amazing! I love all of the input you are giving me! Most of the time, I just think up the story as I go, so it's nice to have some ideas thrown around! Thank you all for taking the time to not only read my long chapters, but also review them! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! I couldn't wait to get off work so I could start writing more for you all! (P.S. Be patient! Katniss and Cato will be reunited soon, I promise!) **

Chapter 17

My first real nightmare comes tonight. It's only been a day since I read Cato's letters, and I'm really starting to feel his absence.

I wake up sweating and shaking, trying to rid my mind of the horrible images that just flashed through my brain.

Cato and Gale were fighting at the Capitol. But I was watching it on television. The 'Capitol' they were fighting in was really an arena. Except there was no winner. And the muttations were unbelievable. As I watch them make their way through the colorful streets of the Capitol, the camera zooms out, and I cry out. Prim is tied to a column outside of President Snow's home. Cato and Gale both race to save her, but become too interested in fighting each other. The muttations sneak up on them and before I know it, I'm watching Gale, Cato and Prim being ripped to shreds by these muttations that look like people, except with snake faces and hair all over their bodies like monkeys. They walk on their hind legs, but hunch over, as if they're meant to walk on four legs. I watch as their sharp fangs rip at Cato's throat, making it impossible for him to scream out in pain. He gurgles a little before closing his eyes for the last time. Gale seems to be fighting them off pretty well, until one of them takes out his legs. They gang up on him, pinning him down by his limbs and ripping into his stomach. I see his intestines fall out and I cannot look away. Prim's scream tears me away from this horrific scene, and I see the mutts are now after her. She's up pretty high, but they're jumping up and nipping at her feet, dragging her towards the ground. As one jumps for her, I wake up, trembling.

I look around the still dark room and notice that I didn't wake up Briar or Ryker. They sleep soundly still. I sigh, knowing I'm not going to sleep. I look towards the two sleepy heads and know they'll be okay without me. I pull on my clothes and make my way for the entrance to the bunker.

When I step outside, I take a deep breath of the fresh air. It feels nice to be out in the woods at this time. I can almost feel the sun preparing to rise on the horizon. I walk silently, listening to the sounds of the animals waking up. I almost wish I had my bow, although I'm thankful I don't have to hunt for food anymore. But hunting filled me with a sort of peacefulness that I haven't felt in forever. Sure, having Cato around made me feel a lot more relaxed than usual, but nothing compared to being out in the woods before the sun rises, just waiting to cross paths with an animal.

I sigh, enjoying being alone. It's been strange, showing people the things my father taught me. And soon, I'll be officially teaching everyone in the bunker everything I know about surviving, even things I didn't learn from my father; things I learned from Gale and from the games.

I shudder, remembering watching Gale's death in my dream. As angry as I am with him, I don't think I could ever get over him dying. I continue walking, without a destination in mind. Since I started exploring with Briar and Ryker, we've found a few amazing places. Prim stopped joining us after the day at the lake. She wanted to get back to her studies at the infirmary before school started.

I miss seeing her as much, although Briar and Ryker are actually really good company. And they are eager to learn. We've discovered an underground cavern, and much like our own cavern, it has a lake. But it's a lot deeper underground. Even though I have a horrible fear of being that deep, I went in there for Briar and Ryker. They were so excited to go in, and I couldn't let them go in alone, just in case. It ended up being beautiful inside. There were what seemed to be icicles, but made of rock, hanging off the ceiling. Our laughter echoed as we swam in the bottomless lake. Not even I could hold my breath long enough to find the bottom. It was a bit eerie, but also quite interesting. But since we didn't come prepared with a light, we had to leave early.

We've also discovered a small grove of different trees, something they called Weeping Willow trees. I've never seen them back in District 12, but they have them all over District 2. They are enchanting, and we spend the day climbing them and hiding in their long, flowing branches. As it gets closer to night, bugs with lights on their butts begin to fly in and out of the branches. We stay way later than we should, not wanting to walk away from such a beautiful sight.

After that, we discovered a few more small lakes, rivers, and even a cliff that we found fun to climb. I explore these places now, enjoying them even more by being alone. The sun begins to come up and I know I should head back. Today, I'm supposed to take a 'class' out for swimming lessons. I have to admit, teaching a few people yesterday did feel pretty rewarding. It was nice to see their faces light up as they started to get it.

I think back to that little girl, Haliea. She was struggling at first, and tried to give up. But before I left her to go read Cato's letters, she was starting to get it, getting gutsy enough to swim out of my hands a few times.

Briar and Ryker volunteered to help me, and it makes me sort of sad. Tomorrow will be the last free day they have before school starts. I wish I could take them on one more adventure alone, but Brose insisted I start my teaching as soon as possible. During the week, I'll be teaching all of the adults and older children about survival. During the weekend, I get to teach the kids who have to be in school during the week.

I make it back to the bunker just as the sun is rising over the waterfall, hitting our lake. There are a ton of people walking around in the hallway, and I weave in and out of them. I check the room, but Briar and Ryker must already be at breakfast. The past few days, they've been up with the sun, excited for whatever adventure we end up going on that day. I stop by my family's room, and see that it is also empty. I grab some clothes and head for the showers. I know it's pointless showering if I'm going to spend the day in water, but my hair has become pretty unreasonable without shampoo. I rinse off quickly, pulling my hair into a quick braid down my back.

By time I make it to the cafeteria, everyone is already done eating. Briar spots me through the crowd of people socializing and walks towards me.

"Hey! Where were you this morning?" She asks, a smile on her face.

"I woke up too early and couldn't fall back asleep, so I went for a walk."

She shrugs, accepting my answer. "You excited for all the swimming lessons today?" She grins at me, knowing how I feel about large amounts of people. Over the past few days, we've gotten to know each other a lot better. She's forgiven me for taking all of her brother's time and now, we're actually pretty good friends.

I exhale, and widen my eyes with fake fear. She laughs. "Want to start walking people up there? I'm just going to grab a quick bite to eat." She nods and then turns around, talking to what seems like way too large of a group. They must have been recruiting people all morning. I sigh, knowing this is going to be a really long day. I head for the food line, which is basically empty.

Greasy Sae smiles up at me as I step up, plopping oatmeal into a bowl for me. "Looks like you've got yourself quite a class." She nods at the large group of people, who are now all filing out of the cafeteria, no doubt following Briar and Ryker.

I laugh nervously. "Yeah, I guess. Wish me luck?" She grins, knowingly. Greasy Sae knew my father, and she was part of the reason why everyone else traded with me once he died. I partially owe my life to her.

I plop down at an empty table and eat my oatmeal quickly. I've come to realize that Ryker and Briar don't have much patience, and I'd hate for them to let all of those people get into the lake without any sort of direction.

I finish quickly and jog up through the spiral hallway and out of the bunker. Thankfully, they're all just getting out of their outer clothes and are standing on the edge of the lake, waiting. As I arrive, a few people from District 4 step up to help me. Since their district is made mostly of water, they all grew up learning how to swim.

About half an hour into it, I begin to enjoy myself. I notice Haliea is back, and she's helping an even smaller girl, who looks almost identical to her. It must be her little sister. I start to relax as the day goes on, and soon, I'm joining everyone else in laughing and splashing. Most people get it quickly, and are swimming around and jumping off rocks into the water. I also get to know a few of the people, and realize I should branch out more.

I meet a man named Tybin, who was from District 8. He had actually worked in the factory that produced the Peacekeeper uniforms. After talking with him, I learned that he was Haliea's uncle. Apparently, her parents had been taken by the Capitol during the evacuation, and haven't been heard from since. He's been taking care of Haliea and her little sister Lilac for the last few weeks. I can see the love in his eyes as he talks about them, and I know they are lucky to have him.

Throughout the day, people come and go. I notice Brutus and Enobaria come out to the lake and help out with teaching people how to swim. I smile, glad that they're interacting with these people, knowing how badly they would rather be home. Brutus, I notice, is watching a small boy intensely, as if he thinks he'll disappear when he blinks.

"Who is Brutus watching?" I call over to Briar, who glances back at him.

"Oh, that's his son, Carver."

"Son?" I ask, intrigued.

"Yeah. His wife died while giving birth to him and he had a lot of health problems growing up. I'm surprised Brutus is even letting him swim. He never let him leave their house back home." She says thoughtfully, going back to helping an elderly woman with her paddling technique.

I also notice that Enobaria has a family around her as well. There is an elderly woman, who I assume is her mother. She also has a very handsome man by her side; her husband is my guess, by the way they stare at each other. They have two perfect children; a boy and a girl. I decide to go over and introduce myself, surprised that Enobaria had any loved ones at all. The only interactions I've had with her have not been so pleasant. She seems so cold. But the light in her eyes right now, surrounded by family, makes me think I misjudged her.

"Enobaria. How are you holding up?" I smile, swimming towards them.

I'm surprised to see her smile back. "Katniss. Nice to see you. We're doing good, actually. It isn't as good has home, but what can compete with the amazing rewards you get from winning the games? It's a shame you never got to enjoy your winnings." She almost frowns, as if she really feels sorry for me. Then she shakes her head, remembering we're not alone. "Oh, I'd like you to meet my family. This is my mother, Philipa. My husband, Ronan. And our two children, Cassia and Flax."

I smile and shake their hands. Philipa seems very strong for an older woman. She is strikingly beautiful, just like her daughter. Now that I'm closer, I can actually admire Ronan's looks. He is very attractive, with his dark hair and bright blue eyes. Cassia and Flax look like carbon copies of their mother.

"It's nice to meet you all. I better get back to my lessons. Hope to see you around. I could use some help teaching about wilderness survival." I realize I don't even remember watching them in the games. I was so young when Enobaria was in the games, and Brutus won his games before I was born.

I swim back to my spot next to Briar, and begin teaching a woman from District 11. She doesn't speak much, but hugs me. She must have known Rue. I hug her back, tears threatening to fall. I hate thinking about Rue, and how her young, innocent life was taken during the games. She reminded me so much of my sister, and I took her death really hard. My gestures after she died actually fueled the fire to all this rebellion, causing District 11 to rebel and end up here. I feel guilty, as if I'm the reason why they're all stuck here. But I remember Rue telling me about her home, and I feel like this is a much better place.

After a long day of teaching all sorts of people to swim, food is brought out to us. Everyone makes their way out of the water, and we all eat on the shores. It's almost like a picnic, and I smile, watching everyone laugh and talk.

As I'm scanning the crowd of people, my eye catches on the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on. He has eyes that I can only describe as sea green. I noticed he and the woman he is now walking with were part of the District 4 volunteers, which makes their bronze skin. I notice they are walking towards me and I'm shocked. They are both amazingly beautiful, although the girl seems a bit out of it.

When they reach me, the man gives me a dazzling smile. The white of his teeth pop against his skin as he reaches his hand out to me. I shake it. "Hi, I'm Finnick. This is Annie. You must be Katniss." I nod, knowing I'm gaping at him. "Brose tells me you're supposed to be teaching all of us how to survive in the wild. We wanted to volunteer to help you. I won the games nine years ago, she won them four years ago. You probably remember her, but you must have been too young to remember me." Annie closes her eyes and puts her hands over her ears, as if she doesn't want to hear about the games.

My memory sparks, and I do remember her. She had hid for most of the games, and then went insane when her fellow tribute died. I try to remember his games, but he is right. I was only seven when his games were on television, and although I'm sure they showed clips of it over the years, I hardly paid attention.

"Yes, I remember seeing her games. Not yours though, sorry."

"It's no worry. I'm actually glad you didn't see all the horrible things I did back then. Annie here was respectable, like you and your fellow tribute Peeta." He pauses, aware that he may have overstepped his boundaries by mentioning Peeta. But I smile at him, showing that it's okay. "So what do you say? Want some extra help?"

"That would be great! I'm not really much of a people person." I look away, embarrassed. Annie laughs and I look at her, confused. Is she laughing at me?

"That's fine! Neither is Annie. But I have enough charisma for the three of us! And thanks! We could really use something to do with ourselves. Apparently we're too old for school, which kind of leaves us useless. My only talents are swimming and knot tying. Annie here is _very_ talented, but she doesn't really like people much at all."

"I understand. And thank you. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by this whole thing. I didn't think this many people wanted to learn how to swim." I gesture at the large group, still eating by the shore.

He grins a thousand watt smile at me. "Who wouldn't want to learn how to swim? The water is great here! And from what I've heard, there are a lot of little lakes around."

"You've heard correctly. We've been exploring for the past few days. I'll show you both around some day." I offer. Annie smiles at me and I smile back. She's not all there, but she seems to like me and I'm happy with that.

"Sounds great! Hey, we'll catch up to you later. Annie needs a nap. We had a rough night." He waves at me and puts his large arm around her tiny frame. They walk back towards the bunker and I'm in awe. He's such a big, beautiful being and he's with a crazy girl. He must be crazy in love with her. It warms my heart, knowing that even Annie can find love. Not that there is anything wrong with her. She's just different. Not to mention the entire country watched her go insane in the arena.

I decide right on the spot that I like her, no matter how crazy she is. All of us tributes are a bit crazy anyways.

I continue my eating alone, just enjoying the view of so many people having fun. Some fast eaters are heading back into the water. I smile as a gutsy toddler leans over to look at a fish and falls into the water. His mother frantically grabs at him, but he's giggling. I'm surprised to see so many kids around. I swore I would never bring a kid into this world, knowing they might one day be reaped. And yet, I see dozens of happy kids, splashing and running around. I'm in awe.

I feel someone sit down next to me and look over, seeing Effie by my side.

"Hey Effie. Learning how to swim?" I notice she's in her underclothes, and to my surprise, barefoot.

"No. I already know how to. Haymitch has been teaching me the past few nights. I just came to enjoy the sunshine." She looks up and closes her eyes, basking in the light.

I grin at her, amazed by her transformation. Just a few days ago, I found her upset in her room. And today, she's sitting next to me glowing.

"So you're getting used to it here?"

"Oh yes. I'm loving it. I wish I would have gone on those Capitol vacations to the woods. I know they wouldn't have been nearly as rough as this, but I love the way it makes me feel out here. It's so peaceful." I nod, knowing exactly what she's talking about. "Have you heard from Cato? I hope he's doing alright. It's strange not being in charge of anything here. If this were Capitol run, I would know exactly what everyone is doing at every moment. Now, I'm free to not care."

"He's doing okay, I guess. He doesn't really like District 13 much. Too many rules. He misses it here." I look off into the lake, smiling as I watch Briar dunk Ryker underwater.

"You mean he misses you. I doubt he really cares much about this place." My cheeks burn, but I know she's right.

"So," I say, wanting to change the subject, "what happened to your shoes?" I gesture at her feet, and notice that her polish is no longer perfect.

"I twisted my ankle walking out here one night because of those wretched things. They're somewhere at the bottom of the lake." She grins at me and we both start laughing.

"Now do you see why I was so reluctant to wear them?" We laugh again, remembering how long it took her to get me to walk in them properly before my interview. I was almost positive she was going to give up on me a few times.

We bask in the sun for a while, letting our food digest. I figure it is okay for me to take a break, even though everyone is starting to get back in the water for a couple more minutes of swimming before the sun goes down.

Effie spots Haymitch from across the lake and gets up to go meet him. I see them hug and it makes my heart ache. I miss Cato so much. It seems like it's been forever since he left. Then I get an idea.

What would happen if I surprised him by showing up with my letters in a week? I become excited, just thinking about it. I get up and make my way towards the bunker, on a mission to find Brose. He's in the infirmary, speaking with my mother in hushed tones. They both look up and spot me, and I wave at them. He says something else and my mother nods, and walks away.

"Brose! I need to ask you for a favor!" I say as I reach him.

"You can call me Castiel. I would actually prefer it. Coin goes by her last name and it almost makes me ill thinking we have something in common." He laughs a little, causing me to grin. "What did you need, my dear?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping I could accompany you on your next trip to District 13. I would really like to deliver my letters to Cato in person. I would just be staying for that night, and then coming back with you the next day, if that's alright." I look at my feet, worried he might actually say no to me. I never actually thought about that.

"Of course! Actually, it would be really helpful if you came. We have a large shipment to take to them, and an even larger one coming home with us. They've taken over the rescue missions, and there are a lot of refugees who need a place to stay. Which means we need some building supplies from them, as well as builders. And they're low on doctors, so your mother is sending some of her people over with us. Looks like your sister might get out of school for a while. We're in desperate need of doctors and nurses on both ends." I'm not sure what to say to him, but I don't think he was expecting an answer from me anyways. "Well, we leave around 2am on Tuesday morning. I'll come get you then." I smile and thank him. Then I realize I should have mentioned this to Briar and Ryker before I asked Brose—I mean, Castiel.

As I head back up, I notice everyone is coming inside. It must be getting dark. I run into Ryker and Briar right at the entrance.

"Hey you guys! I was looking for you!" They head over towards me and we walk together back to our room. "So I'm going with Brose—Castiel, I mean, to District 13 on Tuesday. I'll only be gone for a night. They just really need help loading and unloading supplies."

They nod, taking in the information. "Can we write Cato a letter for you to give to him? I really miss him." Ryker asks, looking up at me.

"Of course! I'm sure he'd really love that! Maybe you two can pick a flower or something in the woods before then and put it in the letter. They aren't allowed to go outside freely like we are." They both light up at the suggestion and begin naming off different things they can send to him.

As I fall asleep tonight, there aren't any nightmares. I'm beyond excited to see Cato. I know I have to tell my mother and sister that I'm going, but I'm sure they'll be okay. I'll only be gone for a day, and it looks like they'll be pretty busy preparing for the refugees we're bringing back.

I don't think about anything else, but I wake up smiling. It's a good side effect to dreaming of Cato all night.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks again for all of the reviews! You are all so amazing! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last ones! Enjoy!**

Chapter 18

The week goes by so slowly, and not for lack of things to do. My classes have me busy from sun up to sun down. Briar and Ryker are now in school every day from breakfast to a little after lunch, so I don't see too much of them. They usually join me for the evening classes, which makes me happy. I really do enjoy their company.

I also enjoy the company of my newest friends, Finnick and Annie. Finnick is so outgoing and lovable, and we become instant friends. Annie doesn't speak much; she's only said a few words to me in the many hours we have spent together this week. But I feel like she's warming up to me slowly. One evening, she even grabbed my hand as we walked back towards the bunker.

Haymitch has refused to help out. He doesn't think it's necessary to teach everyone how to survive if we're already surviving. Brutus and Enobaria make appearances, but usually don't have too much to say.

I told my mother and Prim about my upcoming trip, and they seem excited for me. My mother of course told me to be careful, although I have no idea why. I mean, we're just going to another rebel bunker. And it will only be for a day. But still, she seemed a little worried at first. She tells me that she'll watch over Briar and Ryker while I'm gone, and I thank her.

I spend the entire week counting down the days until Monday night. I'm too excited to sleep. Instead, I go back and date my letters, because of course I had forgotten to. I can't wait to see Cato and to give him these letters. So much has happened here since last week. I sigh, thinking of how almost exactly two weeks ago, Cato left. Everything is still relaxed here, but now I have a legitimate job and the kids are in school. It's so different.

Not to mention I'm dying of curiosity as to what Cato has been up to. I wish there was a way for us to get letters to each other every day. But I shake that thought, knowing I get to see him in a few hours. I pace in our small room, waiting for Castiel to come get me. When he finally does, I almost hug him with excitement, but restrain myself. I grab my letters and a small bag with a change of clothes and gifts from Briar and Ryker and follow him silently. The halls are completely empty, and we make our way down one I have never been through. There are large storage rooms back here, and I see the hovercraft at the end of the hallway. There are a couple people already loading on the equipment. I jump in to help, and within a few hours, we're set to go.

I shudder as the hovercraft rises, remembering the last time I was in one. It was on our way to the arena, where they put the trackers in our arms. I remember Cato glaring at me as well. He was probably angry about my score. I laugh to myself, and make a mental note to tell him how I actually got such a high score. I bet he'll laugh.

I start to doze off, but before I know it, we're arriving in District 13. My heart starts racing, and I can't sit still much longer. As soon as the hovercraft lands, I'm out of my seat. People begin unloading the equipment and I sigh, becoming impatient. I'm in the same bunker as Cato and I really want to just see him.

Castiel catches my eye, and he's smiling at me. He waves me off, as if knowing what I'm thinking and I smile back, sending him a silent thank you. I race down the hall, not having a clue where I'm going. A man with amazing posture and a tight buzz cut sees me, and heads for me. He's intimidating, but maybe he'll know where Cato is.

"Excuse me. Can I ask you a question?" I ask as we meet up.

"Sure. Are you from Brose's bunker?" He asks, eyeing my arm. I remember what Cato said about getting their schedules imprinted on their arms.

"Yes I am. I'm actually looking for a friend. He came here two weeks ago. His name is Cato. Do you know where I could find him?"

"You must be Katniss Everdeen." I look up at him, confused. He registers my confusion and explains. "I'm Boggs, Cato's commanding officer. Right now he's out doing drills. I can show you to his room though, if you would like. He'll be done in about an hour." I smile at him.

"Thank you." I say. We begin walking in silence and I become curious. "So how do you know my name?"

"Cato has spoken of you, on many occasions." My cheeks flush, and I look away. We stop outside a door that looks exactly like every other door in this place. I could definitely see myself getting lost here. I thank Boggs again as I let myself into Cato's room. I remember that Crispin is his roommate, and I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. I'm glad that the room is empty, but I realize I don't have anywhere to stay for the night. Surely, it would be way too much to ask Crispin if I could stay in his room.

The room is small. There are two beds, two small dressers and a single desk. The walls are grey, as are the floor, the roof and the bedding. I can tell which bed is Cato's because I see a stack of letters peeking out from under the pillow. I smile, letting myself sit on his bed. I look through the letters and realize they're from me. I grin, my heart warming. I look around, trying to spot his letters to me. I don't see them in plain sight, and it feels wrong to go through the drawers, so I don't. I reread the letters that I have brought with me to give to him to pass the time. I smile as I read a letter containing a story from one of my evening adventures.

Briar and Ryker had gotten out of school. They basically dragged Prim from the infirmary, and met up with me and my class at the underground cavern. Finnick was busy teaching people how to dive while Annie and I watched, close to the entrance. Ryker decided it would be a good idea to scare us, and jumped up on me. Because the ground was so slippery from the moist air down there, we both slid, knocking Finnick right into the water. I had never seen Annie laugh so hard. We were all laughing so hard that by the end, my sides were sore. They all said I squealed like a pig, although I don't remember a sound coming out of my mouth.

As I'm relaxing on Cato's bed, thinking about the past week, the door opens. I shoot up, and my heart stops as I see Cato in the doorway. I smile, but then stop. There isn't a smile on his face. He looks angry. I notice a bruise around his right eye, and assume it was from his fight with Gale.

"Katniss, you shouldn't be here." He says, shutting the door quickly. He locks it, and I become a little worried.

"I missed you." I said, staring at my feet. Well, this isn't the welcoming I was expecting.

"I missed you too. But you shouldn't have come." He embraces me. I can smell the sweat on him, and I remember that he had just been running drills. As I wrap my arms around him, I can feel him trembling.

I pull away suddenly. "Cato, what's wrong."

"It isn't safe here for you, Katniss. I wrote a letter to you about it. You would have gotten it tomorrow." He sits down, dragging me onto the bed with him. He places his head between his hands, as if thinking hard.

"Why isn't it safe?" I ponder, urging him to explain.

"Remember when I took a bullet for you?" He tries to smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes like it usually would. I nod, and he continues. "Well, Coin was responsible for that." My jaw drops. I'm beyond confused now. He notices and explains more. "People in the rebellion look up to you. They see you as their leader, of sorts. Coin thought that if she could make it look like someone from the Capitol had killed you, it would help fuel the fire of the rebellion. Gale explained it to me a few nights ago."

Wait, what? This is all a lot to process, but my only thought now is screaming in my head. "Gale knew?" I almost whisper. I can feel Cato place his arm around me.

"Yes. But he had nothing to do with it. He tried to stop them, but they sent him back to Brose's bunker for a couple weeks as a punishment." I can feel the anger rising in me, and all I want to do is find Gale so I can rip his eyes out. I'm trembling now, anger flowing through my blood. I start to stand, but Cato holds me down. "I know you're mad. Believe me, I was mad too. Gale was lucky Boggs was only a few steps away. I was about ready to snap his neck."

"I wish you would have. Now I have to do it." I mutter, looking at my fingers that I'm now knotting together.

"Don't say that, Katniss. He's your friend. He really does care for you. He tried to stop them."

"Don't stick up for him, Cato. He didn't try hard enough. You could have died."

"But I didn't. And neither did you."

I can't even see his logic right now. I'm so mad at Gale and at Coin. I can't even wrap my mind around the information Cato has just given me. The rebels think of me as a leader? I'm no leader. Hell, I can barely handle a class of thirty people. If I didn't have Finnick helping me, I'm sure I'd never be able to get our class settled down.

I laugh a little to myself, and Cato looks at me, confused. "What are you laughing about?"

"This whole thing. Me, a leader? Cato, I can't even control thirty people alone. I'm not a leader. Not to mention I expected a completely different welcoming from you." I look at him, fire in my eyes.

"Oh really? Like what?" He questions, grinning at me.

"Well, for one, I didn't think there would be this much talking."

"We can fix that." He says mischievously. And before I can say anything else, his lips are on mine. His hands move from cupping my face to making their way down to my waist. He moves me, so that we're laying down. I worry for a second, thinking someone may walk in, but then I remember that he locked the door. I don't have a chance to wonder what Crispin will think, because Cato is kissing down my neck and I lose all control of my thoughts. Our movements are hungry, like we can never get enough of each other. Our hands are roaming everywhere, tracing each other's bodies, remembering each contour like it was yesterday.

We lay under the covers, although we're both sweating. I rest my head on Cato's chest, running my fingers up and down his abs. He laughs and I realize he's ticklish there. I start to do it again, but he grabs my hand holding it up to his mouth. He kisses my hand, and then keeps his hold on it. I sigh, thankful to be in his arms again.

"I missed you so much." I look up at him, and his face is serious.

"What's wrong?" I ask him, scooting closer to him.

"It's nothing. I just—I just don't want you to think this is all I care about." He gestures at us and I smile.

"Cato, you have nothing to worry about. I like you for much more than—this. Although this is pretty amazing. But I like it because it makes me feel close to you."

"Good. I just didn't want you to think that I only cared about the physical stuff. I love just being with you. We don't even have to do anything. I could just lay here with you in my arms for the rest of my life and I'd die happy."

"You'd die quickly too. I'm starving already. I'm not sure how long we could last just laying here." I giggle, lightening the mood. His stomach grumbles, as if to support my statement.

We both laugh as we get dressed. But then Cato turns serious again. "Maybe you should stay here. You know, just in case. I'm not sure how Coin feels about her failed attempt at killing you, but she really isn't a very nice person and I'd hate for her to know you're here."

"Cato, I'll be fine. I want to explore." He shakes his head at me.

"No. There isn't much exploring here anyways. They have really strict rules. I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to get you food. They're really strict about food here. I'll have to ask Boggs. Or maybe I can find Brose around here somewhere."

I roll my eyes, giving up on leaving this room. "Fine. And by the way, Brose prefers to be called Castiel. He doesn't like having anything in common with Coin."

Cato grins at me before bending down to kiss me. "Please stay here, Katniss. Behave yourself for once. I'll be back as soon as possible."

I roll my eyes at him again. "Whatever you say, master." And as he unlocks the door, I remember Crispin lives in this room too. "Wait! What about Crispin?"

He stops, as if just remembering about Crispin too. Then he smiles. "No worries. He's out in District 11 searching for survivors."

The thought makes me shudder, putting grim thoughts in my head. _Survivors_. The word echoes in my head. I haven't run into any of Rue's family yet, although I have met some of her friends and neighbors. I wonder if they're here. I'd really like to meet them.

I remind myself to ask Cato about them when he gets back. I think about locking the door, but change my mind. I don't want Cato to know I'm worried. But I keep an eye on the door as I lay down on his bed. The silence is deafening and I become bored easily. I have no idea what to do to entertain myself, so I close my eyes. I realize I'm exhausted, and before I know it, I'm out cold.

Cato is shaking me awake. "Katniss! Wake up!" I groan, opening my eyes. I can feel myself covered in sweat, my heart pounding. "Baby, you were having a nightmare. It's okay. I'm here."

I bury my head into his chest, breathing in his scent. He's showered. I look up at him and see that his hair is wet. "You showered. What happened to getting food?"

He gestures towards the desk, and I spy a tray full of food. "That's for you. I came back with it and you were out cold. So I ate my half and decided to take a shower." He nods towards a door to our right. I hadn't even seen it before now, but I see steam still coming out of it.

"You have a bathroom attached to your room." I say.

"Yes, we do." He grins cockily at me, and I slap him playfully, knowing full well what he's thinking. My stomach takes this moment to growl, and Cato hops off the bed to grab the tray of food for me. I sit up and stretch.

It only takes me a minute or so to devour what he's brought me.

"Were you hungry?" He laughs, playfully patting my stomach. I push him away, laughing with him.

"You know, I'm really glad you're here. Sorry about earlier. I just worry about you. And I don't trust Coin. But right now, no one knows you're here."

"Boggs knows." I say, stiffening up a little. He looks at me and then smiles.

"Boggs would never tell her about you. He acts like he's her right hand man, but he's really a good guy." I relax, and smile back at him.

"I've missed that smile. And your laughter. You know, I haven't smiled like this or laughed once since I've been here." He looks at me thoughtfully.

"So what exactly have you been doing here for the past two weeks?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Well I've gone through so much training. I also got to go on a rescue mission earlier this week. But that's about it. Boggs has convinced Coin that we need to bring in all the refugees first before we attack the Capitol. Brose—I mean Castiel, was right about her. She really doesn't care who lives or dies in this war. But Boggs must have talked some sense in her, because we haven't attacked the Capitol yet."

I nod, taking this all in. I've never been one who cared about politics. I knew we had the crappy end of the deal in District 12, but I never thought about being able to change it. Now, things could change. But what will be left of Panem once the war ends? Whether we win or not, the Capitol has bombed half the districts. They'll need to be rebuilt, regardless of who is in charge. I sigh, not wanting to think about any of this any longer.

"So, I'm a leader?" I ask, suddenly curious.

"It appears so. The whole thing with Rue, and then not killing me. They think you did it all on purpose."

"But what about you? You didn't kill me either at the end."

"It isn't the same. They all saw how I was entering the arena. I was born and raised to give the Capitol good entertainment. They saw right through us being in love. They knew I just went crazy. But they thought you knew what you were doing." He states.

"But I didn't." I roll my eyes, thinking of how everyone keeps misinterpreting my fear for rebellion. But it's pointless trying to talk anyone into believing me. "Anyways, when are you going to show me around this place?"

"I'm not. It isn't safe for you to be roaming around out there. Your shooter is out there. And who knows how many of Coin's little puppy dogs are wandering about. If anyone gets a glimpse of you…" He shudders.

"But you can't just keep me locked up in here. I'll die of boredom." I whine. I know he has my best interest at heart, but I'll go crazy locked up in this room.

He sighs, hanging his head low in defeat. "Fine. But we're waiting until after curfew. And you have to listen to everything I say when we go out. Deal?"

I smile, giddy with my win. I Wrap my arms around his neck and bring my face as close as I can to his, although he's so much taller than me. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah." He smiles back, and I know I've got him. He leans down and places his lips on mine. No matter how many times he kisses me, I'll never get used to the butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. He places his hands on the small of my back, pushing me closer to him.

There's a knock on the door and we separate instantly. Cato motions for me to go into the bathroom, and I do. I'm hiding in the shower, the cold tile on my bare feet. I'm barely even breathing and I can feel the panic crawling through my body. Cato comes into the bathroom, smiling at me as he helps me step out of the shower.

As I step out of the bathroom, I notice someone sitting on the other bed. When he looks up, I relax. Crispin is looking up at me, smiling.

"Hey, Katniss. Long time, no see? How's Sayer doing?" He asks.

"Hi Crispin." My cheeks heat up as I realize he probably had a good guess at what Cato and I were doing in here with the door locked. "Sayer is doing alright. I haven't seen him too much lately. My mother has recruited him to work in the infirmary. He has a knack for it, I guess."

"That's great! I'm glad he found a place there." I wonder what he means. Is this why he came here? He felt useless back at the bunker? I barely know him, so I couldn't really judge where I think he would fit in.

"Yeah. My mother is very thankful for him. We've been sending a lot of our doctors here." They both nod, fully aware of the situation here. "I thought you were on a rescue mission." I say, suddenly remembering that he wasn't supposed to be here.

"It was a lot easier than we thought. There weren't many people in the area where we went. But one of the refugees has told us of a hiding place. We're going to check it out tonight, once it gets dark. Boggs thinks it may be a trap, but Coin insists we go."

"Oh, so you're leaving again?" There's a bit of emotion in my voice. I can't tell if I'm happy that he's leaving or upset that he has to go back into danger. He reminds me so much of Peeta, it frightens me to think of him in danger.

"Yes ma'am. Back into the action. I came to see if Cato wanted to join us, but it looks like he has other plans." He grins up at Cato who glares back at him. I smile, realizing that they've become friends of sorts. "Anyways, it looks like it's time for my meal." He holds up his arm with the schedule on it. "See you later, Cato. And Katniss, it was nice to see you again. Tell Sayer I said hi, will you?" I nod, smiling at him.

"It was good to see you too." And as soon as Cato closes the door behind him, he locks it. I make eye contact and raise my eyebrow at him. "So, it looks like you and Crispin have become fast friends."

"Yeah, I guess we have. We have a lot more in common than I expected. We're in the same group, with Boggs, so we have plenty of time to talk. He actually helped break up a fight between me and Gale when he first got here, and I've liked him since. I definitely expected him to watch as Gale tried to beat my face in."

I shudder, thinking of Gale and Cato fighting. I reach up and run my thumb over his bruised eye, barely touching his skin. He leans into my hand, and closes his eyes. "I missed you." He breathes. He leans down and places his forehead on mine and I close my eyes.

"I missed you more." I whisper back, almost incoherently.

"I'm sure you did. I bet even that Finnick guy didn't look as good as me shirtless." I back up from him, giving him a confused look. How does he know about Finnick? As if to answer my unspoken question, he speaks. "I read your letters while you were sleeping earlier. They were just sitting there, so I read them while I snacked on some grapes I brought for you."

"That isn't fair. I want to read your letters!" I say, glaring playfully at him.

"Well there really isn't anything exciting in them that you don't already know. I told you about Coin and her attempt to kill you. And then I told you about our rescue mission. That's about all that's happened here." He says simply.

"What about your dad?" I ask, and see his face sink. Oh no, that can't be good.

"How about I take you to him tonight so you can see for yourself?" His eyes are full of emotion, and I can feel shivers run down my spine. What have they been doing to Julius to make Cato feel this way? I just nod, wanting to drop the subject. Seeing him sad makes my chest hurt.

"So how do you feel about Briar dating?" I ask, glad to be able to change the subject.

"Why?" He asks, suspiciously.

"Well, I think she may have met someone. You can't tell her I told you. But he's really cute. I think he's my age."

"He's too old." Cato says, cutting me off before I can say anything else.

"Oh really? They're as far apart in age as we are." I point out, but he shakes his head.

"It's different. She's my little sister. She's basically still a baby."

"She is not. She's actually really mature." I say in her defense, knowing she would be grateful for my sticking up for her, although I'll never tell her that I told Cato about this in the first place. "And he's a really nice guy. He's from District 5. He's really smart." I try to think of good qualities of this boy, but I don't know him that well. But Cato waves me off anyways, not wanting to hear more of this boy that his sister likes.

I smile, looking up at him. He's so cute when he's being protective. "Oh! I almost forgot! I have gifts for you from Briar and Ryker!" His face brightens as I grab for my bag, pulling out the things they asked me to bring him.

Briar pressed a rose between the pages of an old book she found in the back of her classroom. He smiles as he sees the book, as if knowing it from somewhere. I thought she just used the book because it would keep the flower safe. He looks up at me and sees the confused look on my face. "My mother got this book from her mother, who got it from her mother, who got it from who knows how far back in our family. We had to keep it a secret because it's from back before Panem even existed. But she used to read it to us all the time. I almost know this book by heart." He's grinning from ear to ear, reminiscing his childhood.

"Maybe you can read it to me someday soon." I suggest, and he kisses me on the forehead before turning to his gift from Ryker.

Ryker had given him the most beautiful rock I have ever seen. On an adventure to the underground cavern, Ryker explored deep into it, finding smaller tunnels. Down in there, he found this rock. It just seemed like a rock at first, but when he came out and tried to show it to us, it dropped and cracked in half. We were amazed by the beautiful purple and white crystals inside it. He gave one half to me, and chose to give Cato the other half.

"I have the other half to that." I say, watching him turn it over in his hands. "My mother called it quartz. She said her grandfather had one of them just like this once, but she doesn't remember what happened to it."

"It's beautiful. You'll have to tell them how much I appreciate their gifts. I really do miss them. And my mom. How is she doing?"

"There's nothing new, really. They don't want her to move back up to her room yet. They think they've figured out the best way to get her tumor out, but they sent the scans here to confirm their findings with the doctors here." He nods, taking in the information. We sit and talk, catching up on the normal, boring parts of each other's lives. I tell him about some of the people I like best in my classes, including Annie. He tells me about some of the guys on his squad, and all the interesting stories they've told him about their own districts. He lets me read his letters, and I ask him questions on things he doesn't go into too much detail on.

I realize after a few hours of this, that I am so completely happy, just sitting here talking with him. Our conversation isn't even that exciting, but I still find that we're laughing and talking a lot. I grin, loving how even the little things seem so much better with him. I don't even realize how late it's gotten, until I hear an announcement over the intercom, stating that it is now time for bed.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews and subscriptions and even just for reading my story! You guys are so amazing! I honestly cannot believe I have written so much for you! I looked at my word count and was shocked! I'm pretty sure I've never written this much for anything before. But I love my readers and I can't let you all down! So keep expecting amazingly long chapters and quick updates! Speaking of quick updates, sorry about waiting so long to update! And sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than normal :P This is my last free week before I start my phlebotomy class, so I had to go out and have as much fun as possible! Don't worry, I will make time to continue writing this, although I'm not sure yet how much homework I'll have. But I'm hoping to crank out a few more chapters before then, just in case! Anyways, love you all! Keep being awesome! Review, review, review! I love seeing your reviews pop up on my email every day!  
P.S. Some of you have said I could be a little raunchier, so I'm trying it. :P Wish me luck. **

Chapter 19

I look up at Cato expectantly, and he sighs. "We have to wait until everyone actually goes to bed. So we still have about an hour or so. Want to take a quick nap?"

"I'm fine, actually. I had a nice nap earlier. But I could use a shower. I feel kind of gross." I say, and he nods, helping me up.

"Well then it's a good thing we have our own private bathroom, huh?" He grins at me and then I see the cockiness spread through his face. "And you are in need of a shower." He plugs his nose.

I slap him playfully. "Oh hush. I do not smell."

"Right. Keep telling yourself that. Come on. Let me show you how to work our shower. It's a little different than back at the other bunker." I feel the warmth on my cheeks, and realize I'm blushing. I remember not too long ago, when I caught him taking a shower. I remember the way his towel hung so low on his hips. I smile, remembering how hard it was for me to be in the same room as him. I was so embarrassed to have caught him like that. And now… well.

"What are you grinning about?" He asks, an amused look on his face.

"I'm remembering the first day we went back to the Capitol. When I accidently interrupted your shower." I look down, hoping he can't see the burning in my cheeks.

He chuckles. "Oh yeah. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was pretty sure you were going to faint." He grins at me, his smile as cocky as ever.

"I was not! I—I was just… surprised." I stammer, looking away from him.

"Surprised?" He asks, still grinning at me.

"Yes. I didn't expect you to be in the shower." I say, still not looking at him.

"Right." He says, trying to hold back laughter.

I playfully hit him. "It's true. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'd like to take a shower." I push past him and into the bathroom. I try to shut the door but he places his hand in the way.

"Wait! I still have to show you how to turn it on." I sigh, letting him push the door open and follow me into the small bathroom. As he turns it on, I see a sly grin form on his face. Before I can react, he's grabbing me and dragging me into the shower with him.

"Hey!" I shout, laughing as the warm water sprays over us. "This isn't the kind of shower I wanted."

He chuckles, looking down at me. I try to keep a straight face, but he can see right through it. "Exactly what kind of shower were you wanting?"

"The kind where I don't have my clothes on…" And as I say it, I realize what he's doing. He smiles at me, waiting for me to continue, but I'm speechless. He wants to shower with me.

"Oh really?" He asks, peeling off my wet shirt. I hold my breath as he reaches for my undershirt.

"Maybe I could just shower with my clothes on." I say quietly, but he shakes his head.

"No way. Like I said earlier, you stink. I think you need a real shower. Can you help me with this?" He asks, gesturing at his shirt, which is sticking so tightly to him that he may as well not be wearing it. I nod, my hands trembling as I try to lift it over his head. He has to help a little, but I finally get it off. He's laughing at me and I look up at him and cock my head to the side. "You seem so nervous, Katniss." He teases and I narrow my eyes at him.

"I am not nervous." I pout, and reach for his pants. Those are a lot harder to get off, and I know mine will be too. I struggle to get his off and he has to help me. We're both giggling, trying to peel our clothes off without falling over.

"I love your laugh." He says, leaning down to kiss me. Our lips meet, and his hands find my bare back. He presses me against him and I feel the butterflies in my stomach. He pulls back, looking down at me, his eyes filled with desire. "Come on, let's get you lathered up." And he begins soaping me up, making sure he gets every part of my body. I do the same to him, until we're both slippery.

Then he helps me with my hair. I never thought having someone wash your hair for you could be so… sexy. Prim used to help me wash my hair sometimes, but it was nothing like this. Cato's hands massage my head and I close my eyes, enjoying the relaxing feeling. As I lean my head back to rinse my hair, Cato kisses down my neck. I part my lips a little and a noise escapes my throat.

Cato looks down at me and smiles. He leans down and our lips meet. I let myself get lost in his kisses. Our hands explore, slipping over the smooth surface of each other's skin, soap still not completely gone. I trace my fingers down his abs, feeling my way through his tight muscles, remembering how they looked when we laid out on the rock after swimming during his last day at the bunker. I can feel his hands roaming all over, exploring my body, although he knows it almost as well as I do.

I can hardly breathe, but I don't want to remove my lips from his. When I kiss him, it's like nothing else in the world matters. I just want to replay this moment forever. I don't want either of us to let go. We're struggling to stay standing, as neither of us has ever done this standing up. But we manage, and we're so wrapped into each other that we forget the time or where we are or anything else for that matter. As we both finish, we collapse onto the shower floor. We sit there for a few minutes, letting the water hit our now highly sensitized skin.

Cato looks down at me and smiles, wrapping his strong arms around me. "Well, that was probably the best shower I've ever had." I grin at him and shake my head.

"I'm not exactly sure how clean we got from it though."

"Hey, I can't smell you anymore, so we must be clean enough." He chuckles as I playfully push him away, not that I could ever push my way out of his grip. He places his cheek on my wet hair. "I really wish I could come back with you. I miss you so much."

I sigh, agreeing with him. "Well, just hurry up and do what you have to do here. We all miss you there." I let my voice fade as we sit in comfortable silence. It's like we're both trying so hard to make time stop; to make this moment last forever.

"We should get dressed. If you want to go exploring we're going to have to go soon. Our window is pretty small." He groans as he gets up and then holds out his hands for me. I grab them and he drags me up. My feet slip on the slick tile, but Cato's holding me up. "If you crack your head open, we can't go anywhere. I swear, it's like you have two left feet." He murmurs, more to himself than me.

"I am not _that_ clumsy. The tile was just slippery." I pout. But he just shakes his head. He hands me a towel and grabs one for himself. We dry off quickly and get dressed. I quickly put my hair in a single braid down my back while Cato watches in wonder.

"Wow. You're really fast at that." He says in awe. I just shrug.

"It's the only way I ever do my hair. It's easy and it keeps it out of my face."

"I like your hair down though. It's so beautiful." He says, playing with the end of my braid. I tug it out of his hand and gesture for the door.

"Come on. You said we have a small window. We don't want to miss it because we're talking about hair, do we?" He shakes his head at me and smiles, nodding as he reaches for the door knob.

"I want you to stay behind me at all times. We shouldn't talk much, unless we know it's safe. Let me make sure the coast is clear before you come out, alright?" There's concern in his face and I oblige. He leaves me in the room for a second to check the hallways, but is quick to come back.

He nods and I silently follow him down the hallway. He seems to have figured this place out pretty well, and soon we're heading down hallways and into elevators. He takes me to a large room, but doesn't turn on a light. It's almost pitch black, with a few security lights here and there.

"This is the hanger." He says in a hushed tone. "We have so many hovercrafts here. There are even some with Capitol seals on them." We walk up to one and I can make out the outline of it against the dark, emptiness of the hanger. I run my hand down the side, feeling the cold metal against my skin.

"If we have so many of these, why don't they just attack the Capitol now?" I question in wonder.

"They want to make sure the Capitol is weak when they attack. They've tried an uprising before, remember? It didn't work the first time, and they still had all of this back then. But if we cut the Capitol off from all of its resources, it will eventually weaken and will be easy to defeat. They are already missing out on a lot of things. Most of the districts have been taken by rebel forces. We have troops in each district, fighting off the Peacekeepers. The Capitol isn't getting any of the supplies they're so used to. They've never been hungry before."

I nod, although I know he can't see me. "It makes sense when you put it that way. Have there been a lot of casualties?" I ask, worried about the people fighting out in the districts.

"Yes. Coin says it's a lot less than expected, which is good, I guess. I don't know. I think any death is bad, especially in this war. The rebel forces are strong, but we don't have the medicine and the health facilities that the Capitol has. They can take better care of their injured than we can. And they've been merciless. They've bombed shelters full of children." His voice cracks and I reach out to place my hand on his arm. "They need to pay for all the innocent lives they've taken. One way or another."

We make our way out of the hanger in silence. He takes me into a few more rooms, explaining the mess hall and the classrooms, and finally, he takes me to the outside. We have to be completely silent, as there is a guard near the door. But we make it out without being seen.

I gasp as we reach the surface. I remember seeing footage of District 13 on Capitol propaganda, and this is nothing like it. There is no nuclear waste here. In the moonlight, I can see grass and flowers growing over the wreckage that used to be District 13. There isn't much up here, but the Capitol lied about it being dangerous. It's almost serene, if not really spooky. I wonder if the districts that got bombed will end up looking like this in a few years.

Cato reaches for my hand and I take it. We walk quickly and silently, until we're on the edge of the woods. "Amazing, isn't it?" He says, sitting down on a rock and pulling me down next to him.

"It is. I always thought it was uninhabitable. When I read your letters, I wondered how you were all able to come out here to train." I look over the ruins of the district and my insides twist. They've bombed District 12. I wonder if I would be able to tell what the piles of rubble used to be. I'm almost positive I could pick my house out, but looking at these ruins, I can't tell one pile from the next.

"I know. I felt the same way when I first got here. I was actually pretty worried about coming to the surface. A few of the guys messed around with me, telling me that a few of their men had died up here from inhaling too much of the fumes. I almost passed out from holding my breath before they all started laughing at me." He grins, remembering the prank.

I laugh a little, imagining Cato scared. "I didn't think big, strong Cato got scared." I throw at him and he laughs.

"I wasn't scared. I was being cautious. Totally different." He shoots back, chuckling.

"Oh, of course." I say,

We aren't sitting there for longer than half an hour when Cato gets up. "Come on, we better head back. People are going to begin to wake up, and we need to be back in my room before then." I sigh, already missing the fresh air. I stand up and place my hand in his and he leads us through the ruins and back into the bunker.

We're almost back to his room when we hear footsteps. Cato keeps going, but tightens his grip on my hand. Before we can make it to his door, I hear something that makes my heart drop into my stomach.

"Katniss? Is that you?"

_Gale_.

I spin around, knowing he'll follow if I don't. Cato tries to drag me, but I won't budge.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, finally reaching us.

"Can we take this conversation into my room?" Cato asks, anger hinting in his voice. He still doesn't like Gale. I can't say I blame him. After the way he acted towards me at the infirmary, I don't like him much either. But he nods and follows us into the room.

"What are you doing here?" He asks again once we're safely inside. He narrows his eyes as he looks from Cato to me.

"I—it really doesn't matter why I'm here. And I'm leaving tomorrow."

"You shouldn't have come here." He spits at me before turning his attention to Cato. "Didn't you tell her about Coin? Why didn't you tell her not to come?"

"I didn't have a way to tell her. I only found out about it a few days ago. Why didn't _you _tell her?" Cato spits back, his face turning red with anger.

"I didn't think she'd actually come here. I thought she would be smart and stay with her mother and Prim. But of course, she only thought about herself, again." Gale shoots back and I glare at him.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means! Faking your feelings for that poor boy who actually liked you, just so you could win those stupid games." His words hurt, and I can feel the tears prick my eyes.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Gale. You can't even begin to imagine what was going through my mind during the games while you were safe back home." I glare at him, and he makes me sick to my stomach. This isn't the Gale I used to know. This isn't the Gale I used to hunt with. "What is wrong with you, Gale?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, Katniss." He turns away from me to head back out the door. "You're just a stupid little girl. Try to keep yourself out of trouble while you're here, okay? Get on that hovercraft and get out of here and don't come back." And with that, he shuts the door.

I'm trembling and I can feel Cato's arms make their way around me. "It's alright, baby. I won't let anything happen to you." There's a slight tone in his voice, as if he doesn't quite believe he can fulfill that promise.

"I—I just can't believe that jerk. He's changed." I stammer, trying not to cry. I want the old Gale back. The Gale that was my best friend; who knew me better than anyone else. But he's gone, and all that's left is a cold, heartless person.

"Don't pay any attention to him." He rubs my back, trying to calm me, but it only makes me more upset. I let the tears fall, and feel ashamed. Maybe I have changed. I would never have cried like this. Gale and I have fought before. Sure, it was never this bad, but I never cried over it.

Cato and I spend the rest of our time together in his room. We share a few more stories and talk more about things that happened before the games, when we were living our normal, average lives. But before I know it, Cato is telling me that we need to go; that I have to get back on the hovercraft soon. My heart breaks as we walk down the hallways, quickly and silently. I don't want to leave him, but I know it isn't safe for me here. If Coin put a hit out on me once, I'm sure she'd have no issue trying to find a way to kill me on her own turf.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thanks again for all of the reviews! I'm sorry I've been sucking at updating quickly, but I've been having issues with the story. I reread the whole thing and realized I've gotten super lazy with my writing. The first few chapters were pretty amazing, and they've kind of gone downhill from there. So I'm working on spending way more time on each chapter, just to make sure they are up to par with the first chapters. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! You are all so awesome! I'm glad to have you all with me for my first fanfic! It's been a great learning experience so far! Hope you enjoy! **

**P.S. I think I'm going to change back my rating to Teen. I don't want to go into too much more detail with their sex scenes, and one of my amazing readers, dokinchan, has hit the nail on the head. Katniss' mind is still pure, and she wouldn't go into detail about it all. Believe me, I love nothing more than a good, raunchy sex scene. But I don't feel like it's right in this story. Maybe I'll do it for my next fanfic ;)**

Chapter 20

There are footsteps behind us as we make our way down the last part of the hallway before we reach the bunker's hovercraft. Cato's grip tightens on my hand and his pace quickens. I try to keep up, although one of his long strides is equal to about five of mine.

"Katniss Everdeen?" A voice behind us questions. I don't recognize the voice, but I can tell Cato does. He stops in his tracks and stiffens. His grip on my hand is almost unbearable now. I look up at his face and see a strained look. He's trying to act normal, but I can see the worry seeping across his face. Whoever is behind us scares Cato, which scares the hell out of me.

Since we're no longer moving, the footsteps catch up to us quickly. The click click of heels reminds me of Effie for a few seconds, but I shake my head. Although Effie could be a pain at times, I don't think she could ever instill fear on anyone like this woman does to the strong boy next to me. Cato closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before turning around to greet the voice, dragging me with him.

"President Coin." He tries to be polite, but he spits out her name like it is poison. His reaction shocks me, until I turn up my eyes to look at her and realize why he hates her so much.

Her hair is grey, as are her eyes. She has to be somewhere in her fifties, probably around Greasy Sae's age. But she doesn't have kind eyes like Greasy Sae. In fact, nothing about her is kind. Her stare is dark and piercing, as if she can see right through me. Just making eye contact with her sends shivers down my spine. It doesn't seem like a soul could like her, but then again, it doesn't seem like she would even care.

She just nods at Cato's greeting, not taking her eyes off of me. "It is you. I thought I recognized you." Her eyes flutter up and down, as if sizing me up. "Although you seem a bit more weak and timid in person than I thought." I flinch. "So what brings you to District 13?" She says, barely blinking, as if she hadn't just insulted me.

"I—I, uh, Castiel needed my help with the loading and unloading of supplies." I spit out, fully aware of how shaky my voice sounds. I can't help myself. There's just something about her that scares the living day lights out of me.

"Right. Castiel." She huffs. "I don't know how he thinks he'll gain respect from you all if he allows you to call him by his first name." She says, almost to herself. I'm sure if she were human, she would be rolling her eyes. But since I'm pretty sure she's an ice queen, she just shakes her head quickly before speaking again. "Anyways, I wish someone would have told me about your visit here. I've been meaning to speak with you about this war." Her eyes narrow as she glances at Cato. I can almost feel the heat coming from her stare, and I gulp. I didn't want Cato to get in trouble, but it looks like he's just found his way to her bad side.

"You have been?" I ask, partially out of curiosity, but mostly to get her to stop glaring at Cato. She almost seems amused by my modesty, as if my question is completely stupid. Her lip twitches for a second, but she gains her composure quickly before I can determine whether she was going to smile or sneer at me.

"Yes. You are, after all, the reason why we've gotten so far in this rebellion. You started the fire." She says it as if she admires me, but the tone in her voice makes me think otherwise. Not to mention the glare she's now focusing on me with.

"I—I didn't mean to." I say, as if to explain my actions. But she just shakes her head.

"Of course you didn't. But your actions are the reason why people decided to start fighting back. I must say, I was hoping to have a few more years of preparation before starting this war, but we have to take what we can get." She narrows her eyes at me and I realize she's blaming me for something, although I'm not exactly sure what.

"I'm sorry." I say, almost questioning her. But she doesn't seem to care.

"Soldier, you are dismissed. Ms. Everdeen and I have a lot to talk about." She looks at Cato, who shakes his head.

"I'd like to stay, actually." He stands up straighter, puffing his chest out a little, and I notice he's trying to act confident. My heart flutters a little, seeing him trying to be protective of me.

"Excuse me? Are you disobeying a direct order?" She says, anger flashing across her face. Well, at least she has one emotion. But I begin to worry, fearing she'll take all of her hatred for me out on him, especially now that he's disregarding her.

"With all due respect, President Coin, Katniss is my responsibility and anything that affects her will affect me." He's firm, almost too firm. He's trying to control his emotions, but it must be getting harder every second he's around this awful woman. I'm thankful that he is by my side. I squeeze his hand, hopefully giving him assurance. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye before returning his gaze upon Coin.

She looks from Cato to me and sighs. "Fine. But anything you hear is confidential. If I hear of anything getting out, you'll be tried for treason, understand?" She's annoyed about being disobeyed, but must know that I won't go anywhere with her without him. She begins to turn, and we're about to follow when I stop abruptly.

"But what about the hovercraft? They're supposed to leave within the hour." I blurt out, remembering where we were headed before she caught us.

She seems to stop and think about it for a second, before a sly smile sneaks onto her face. "You will have to stay with us for another week. It is vital that we go over things, and who knows when you'll be back in District 13 again. We should discuss everything now, while we have you here." I can almost feel Cato go pale next to me, his grip turning my fingers white from lack of blood.

"Oh, okay." I stutter. I don't know what else to say. I don't want to make this woman angrier than I already have, so I don't argue with her. I can almost feel Cato's disapproval. I know he wants me out of here as soon as possible, but I wonder what would happen to him if I turned her down. Surely, she could hurt him to get back at me. She seems to hate me enough to do something like that. "But I'll have to tell Castiel to let my mother know."

"Of course. I'll wait here with-," She stops, looking up at Cato. He isn't paying attention, so she clears her throat, snapping him back to reality. She glares at him, probably for not giving her full attention.

"Cato." He grunts, his voice almost hollow. He's still in shock from Coin's suggestion that I stay a full week. He didn't even want me here for a day. But that was because he was afraid Coin would kill me. But maybe she doesn't want me dead anymore. I mean, we've been standing here for a while. If she wanted me dead, I would be dead already, right? For some reason, this doesn't comfort me.

"Right. We'll wait for you here while you tell Brose your new arrangement." She says coolly, ignoring the change in Cato's voice.

I try to get my hand out of Cato's, but he has a really firm grip on me. I look up at him, but he's staring off into the hallway, as if deep in thought. I wave my free hand in front of his face and he shakes his head back into reality. He looks at me, confused, until I hold up our hands. He releases his grip on my and I can feel the blood starting to flow back into my hand.

His eyes are silently pleading with me, but I don't understand what he wants me to do. Instead, I peck him on the cheek and turn away quickly, unsure of whether or not that was a good thing to do in front of Coin. Of course, she already saw us holding hands, so what more damage can I do with a little kiss? Plus, I'm obeying her orders, so Cato should be safe.

I make my way into the hanger and spot Castiel, directing two men carrying a large box labeled MEDICAL in large, black letters on the side.

"Castiel!" I call out, getting his attention. He quickly points the men towards an open place on the hovercraft before wheeling over to me, a smile on his face.

"Katniss. How was your visit with Cato?" He asks, making me blush instantly as I remember the past few hours with him.

"It was fine." I manage to spit out, although the burning in my cheeks is giving me away for sure.

"Are you ready to go home?" He asks, smiling at me, obviously amused with my previous reaction.

"Actually, I kind of ran into President Coin." As I say her name, his face whitens a bit and it worries me. But I continue anyways. "She's asked me to stay for this week. She has some things to tell me or something like that. I don't know. Anyways, I was wondering if you could pass this to my mother. And ask her if she can bring Briar and Ryker into her room while I'm gone. I don't want them to be left alone. And I'm sure Finnick can handle the class without me."

"You don't have to stay." He says, his eyes searching mine. I try to hide my fear, but he catches it. "Coin has no hold on you. You know that, right?" Oh, but she does. I'm afraid to disobey her; afraid of her anger towards me; afraid of what she could do to Cato.

"I—I know. But I have to. It might be good for me to have more knowledge on this whole war. Maybe it could give me some more motivation for my classes. It's only going to be for a week, anyways." I say, giving him a tight smile. He searches my eyes for some sort of explanation, but must not find anything. He shakes his head in defeat.

"I will let them know. And I will be here in a week to get you." He looks as if he wants to hug me, but doesn't.

"Thanks." I say, quickly turning around and walking back towards where Coin and Cato are waiting for me. Castiel's uneasiness at me staying here has only put me on the edge. I try to shake it off, but I just can't. I nod my head at Coin and she turns around and begins walking down the hallway, expecting us to follow.

Cato looks at me and I can see the fear in his eyes. I try to hide my fear from him; one of us needs to be strong. So I grab his hand and look forward, taking the first step towards following Coin to wherever she's taking us.

For such a small woman, she walks at quite a brisk pace. Cato and I keep up though, and soon we're in a meeting room, like the one back in the bunker, only it seems colder.

I shudder as Coin closes the door behind us and gestures at the table in the middle of the room. Cato and I sit silently, not breaking our hold on each other.

"Well, as you know, District 11 started rioting after that little stunt you pulled with the whole funeral thing for that girl."

"Her name was Rue." I say, interrupting her. She stops and glares at me. But I glare right back. Rue isn't just some "girl" to me, she was my friend, my ally. And I gave her the best goodbye I could give her. It wasn't a little stunt. It was me grieving for the loss of Rue, the twelve year old girl who had no business being in the arena; the one who reminded me so much of Prim. Tears threaten to emerge as I remember her smile and the way she snuggled against me in the tree that night. That was the first time since going into the arena that I felt safe. I owed her so much more than a few flowers covering her body. I owed her my sanity.

"Right. Anyways, we had a few of our people there, just collecting data, when it all happened. They reported back to us, and we evacuated quite a few people before the Capitol began bombing them. We honestly didn't think it would go that far, but apparently you caused more of a ruckus than we thought. Word got out quickly, thanks to our own people who we'd placed strategically in each district. District 12 was next for the bombing, but that was because you were from there." My heart drops. She's blaming me for the bombing of my district. She's placing the death of any of those people in my hands. Anger burns in my cheeks. But I stay quiet. "We almost didn't even get a chance to evacuate. The bombs began dropping from out of nowhere. It's a good thing Soldier Hawthorne was able to begin evacuating people into the woods, or I would have been able to count the survivors on one hand." She looks at me triumphantly, noticing the tears in my eyes as I imagine my home being blown up. "District 2 wasn't even considered for bombing, though, since they're basically the Capitol's right hand. We've barely been able to get anyone from there. Seems they believe you went temporarily mad and are now being held captive." She looks at Cato with disgust, as if she believes he went mad too and that he really isn't with the rebels. "Anyways, here's where we are now. We have completely evacuated 11 and 12. We have most of the people from 4, 7, 8 and 9. 5, 6 and 10 seem to be considering joining us, we have about half of their people. But 1, 2 and 3 are still quite loyal to the Capitol. This is where you come in." She looks at me, as if expecting me to know what she's talking about. But I look at her with a blank stare and she sighs, exasperated. "We need you to feed the fire. And now that I think of it, he might be of some help." She gestures at Cato, as if he isn't worthy of her speaking directly to him.

"What do you mean?" I ask, really confused now. Considering all I did was give Rue the respectful goodbye she deserved, I'm not really a genius when it comes to rebel plans. I accidently started a war, for crying out loud.

"We need you to be the face of the rebellion." She says plainly, looking at me as if I'm the densest person she's ever met.

"No." Cato says firmly, speaking for the first time in what seems like forever.

Coin turns to glare at him, trying to burn a hole into his head with her eyes. "I wasn't asking you, although you would be helpful. We're trying to win over _your_ people." She explains, and I imagine her rolling her eyes. Cato glares at her before tightening his grip on my hand again. He's angry. I can feel him shaking.

"I—I don't want to fight. I can't condone any of this. Good, innocent people are dying, because I accidently started something I wasn't even aware was brewing." I can see Cato nodding his head out of the corner of my eye, agreeing with me. I want to turn and glare at him, and ask him why he would agree with me when he came here to fight against the Capitol; to risk his life. But I can wait to start that argument when we are alone.

"Oh no. Don't tell me Brose has gotten to you. Don't listen to him, Katniss. He's never lost someone because of the Capitol. He's had a safe, comfortable life. You lost people you loved. You lost that boy. And that little girl, too. You and your family starved because of the Capitol. Didn't your father die too, in a Capitol mine of all places?" There's a gleam in her eye and she thinks she's won me over by using the people I've lost. I wonder what she means by Castiel having a safe life; how does that explain the wheelchair?

Tears prick my eyes as her words hit me. I'm angered, and my cheeks are flushed. Before the first tear can roll down my cheek, I spit back, "So you want me to go promote this, so that I have even more death on my conscious?"

"It would be for the greater good." She states firmly, annoyed with my anger and probably my incompetence to understand her.

I scoff. "Oh, of course. Didn't the Capitol create the games for the greater good as well? To remind us not to step out of place? So that no more innocent people died because of a rebellion?" I shoot at her, aware that I'm angering her by not agreeing.

"You should know better than anyone that this is nothing like that. Rebels are dying for what they believe in, not for the Capitol's entertainment." I know she has a point, but I can't help but see through her argument.

"Innocent people are still dying, regardless of the reason. And I can't be the person who encourages them to do that." I look away, unable to face her any longer. I can feel her glaring at me, but I don't look up.

"You already encouraged them, Katniss. When you volunteered for your sister. And again when that girl died. And once more when you rescued your partner from infection. And yet again when you allowed _him_ to live." Cato looks up at her in disgust, before turning back to me. We make eye contact and I can see him trying to control his anger. At least we're in this together. I don't know how well I would be able to hold myself together right now if he weren't by my side. I give his hand a squeeze, trying to let him know how much I appreciate him being here.

"That is not true. I volunteered because I didn't want my sister to die. It's one thing to risk my own life, but to say that I should tell everyone else to risk their lives as well, I just can't do that." I sputter, trying to keep my emotion out of my voice, although I can hear it rising in anger.

Why would she keep bringing up all these things that have done nothing but cause me pain? If she's trying to win me over, it isn't working. But she's trying to make me hate the Capitol. And I do. I despise the Capitol. But I can't be the person they all blame when innocent people die. I'm not strong enough. I'm not heartless, like her.

Coin slams her hand down on the table, causing me to jump. Cato and I turn to look at her, and she's fuming. This is probably the only strong emotion we will ever see on her face. I want to laugh at the absurd look on her face, but I fear she would explode if I did. "Enough. I've had enough of this. You need to take responsibility, Katniss. You need to step up. The rebels need someone to encourage them. And that someone is you."

"Why can't you do it? You seem to have the motivation." I mutter, not breaking eye contact with her this time. It feels like her eyes cut right into my soul. She's glaring at me so hard, I almost feel like she could break me in half with her eyes. I try to glare back, but I know I'm nowhere close to as intimidating as she is.

"I didn't start this war. _You_ did. _You're_ already at fault for the deaths of innocent people. Think about that." And with that, she storms out of the room.

I close my eyes, begging my tears to stay in. She's right. Even if I didn't do it on purpose, people have died believing that I was standing up for something they believed in. They thought I made the first move. They were confident that even if they died, their efforts wouldn't be in vain.; that I would carry on this fight.

The tears escape my tightly shut eyes, and I can feel Cato wrapping his muscular arms around me. He pulls me into his lap and I completely break down. I place my head on his chest, and let my tears fall.

"Katniss, you know she just said all of that to get you riled up. You aren't to blame for anyone's death. You did nothing wrong. You were being a human being and people took it the wrong way." I understand his argument, but it doesn't help me any.

I'm crying for everything. For Rue and for Peeta and for my father. For all those people who have died since this war began. I shudder, thinking of all those deaths. This is all the Capitol's fault. And I am angry at them. Very angry. So angry that I'm almost considering Coin's offer. But I can't. I'll be just as bad as the Capitol if I condone this.

Cato picks me up, with me still sobbing into his chest. He carries me like a child, cradling me in his arms, and begins walking down the hallway. I don't pay attention though; I just keep my head in his chest, sobbing and feeling sorry for myself. When we make it to his room, he lays me down on the bed and scoots next to me.

He says nothing, just wraps his arms around me and lets me sob into his now drenched shirt. I keep sobbing, only stopping to breathe.

And soon, I'm exhausted. I fall asleep almost instantly. But just as quickly, I'm waking up screaming, soaked in sweat. Nightmares flash through my mind; people are dying in front of me, and I'm just watching. Every one dies such horrible deaths, and I sit there, doing nothing to help them.

"Katniss! Wake up, baby. It's just a nightmare. I'm here. Shhhh." Cato cradles me, trying to calm me down. I start crying again, but then stop. I can't keep crying over this. I have to keep my composure or I'll never get any rest. And neither will Cato. So instead, I just stare out into the dark room for a while before turning my head to look up to Cato. I can barely make out his face in this darkness, but I can feel his eyes searching for mine.

"Thank you." I say to him, my hand finding his jaw. He kisses my forehead and hugs me tighter.

"Katniss, please don't think about what Coin said anymore. You know none of it is true." I sniffle, holding back more sobbing. I will not cry, I try to tell myself.

"I know. But I can't help but feel guilty, Cato."

"You shouldn't feel guilty. You did nothing wrong. Those people—they just reacted to humanity in a strong way. No one has ever seen kindness like you've shown so often. And that is the Capitol's fault, not yours. You didn't starve a country full of people. You didn't take their children every year and force them to watch their children fight to the death. You didn't make people do dangerous jobs without any sort of benefit. You didn't brainwash people into thinking all of that was okay. The Capitol did all of that, not you."

I pull him closer to me, thankful that he's found the perfect words to calm me. But then I stop. "But people are still fighting, still dying, because of something they think I started. I don't want them to fight. I don't want you to fight." My throat tightens, and I try to hold back the emotion. Tears are threatening to fall from my eyes, and I mentally yell at them to stay put.

He's silent for a moment, and I almost regret the last thing I said. I know he has his reasons for fighting. I don't want to make him choose me or his reasons. I'm about to open my mouth to take back what I said, when he speaks up. "I won't fight. I'll go home with you when the hovercraft comes." He says softly.

"Promise?" I ask, hopeful for the first time in hours.

"Promise. I can't lose you, Katniss. And I can't have you blaming yourself if something happens to me. It wouldn't be right." His voice cracks, and I press myself closer to him, feeling safe in his strong arms.

"I can't lose you either. I—I love you." I say, aware that I shouldn't have. It's too early. He's going to think I'm insane. I mean, I told him I loved him before, but it was a love like a Prim and a Gale love that I felt. Now, I feel like it's something else. I don't want him to take it as the friendly love, but I don't want to freak him out either.

"I love you." I can feel him grin a little as he places his lips on my forehead once more. "Crazy, huh? A few months ago, we were trying to kill each other. Now we're… well, we love each other." He chuckles quietly, and I'm being bounced up and down as his chest moves with his laughter.

"I know. We're insane. We must have hit our heads too hard in the arena." I say, giggling back. We both laugh, aware that if anyone had been in the room with us for the past couple minutes, they would literally think we were insane.

Our laughing dies, and we just lay in each other's arms in the dark. Our breathing slows, and Cato places his chin on my head.

"Think you'll be able to sleep some more?" He asks.

"I think so. What about you?"

"I hope so. I have a feeling we're going to need as much rest as possible. Coin isn't going to make this week easy on us." His voice hardens, and my stomach drops, realizing he's absolutely right. There's no way Coin gave up that easily without having another plan. I mean, the anger in her eyes before she left called for blood. I shudder, not even able to imagine what horrible things she was thinking.

I try to sleep, but it doesn't come. I can tell Cato is restless too, but I don't want him to worry. So I pretend to sleep. And he stills soon after. I have a feeling he's pretending too, but I try not to think about it. 


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews I really enjoy reading every single one of them! Sorry that I'm slacking so much on the updates! I've just been busy! My friend is about to pop out a kid and I just had my first day of phlebotomy class! But thankfully, I had the day off of work so I have a little bit of time to catch up on this story! It's a little shorter than usual, but I hope you enjoy it just the same! Lots of love!**

Chapter 21

There's an announcement, and I realize it is now morning. Cato hasn't moved yet, and I dread the moment I have to move out of his arms. Now that coin knows I'm here, I'm sure I can't just hide out in Cato's room for the week. Plus, Crispin is sure to need his room sometime soon.

As I'm wondering how my living situation is going to work this week, there's a sharp knock on the door. Cato shoots up quickly and crawls over me to the door. He gives me a look before he opens it slowly. There's a man's voice on the other side of the door and I almost think I recognize it. Cato nods a few times before shutting the door and then turns back to me.

He smiles as he sees the confused look on my face. "That was Boggs. He was just letting me know that I have duty today. And that Coin has allowed you to stay here for the remainder of your stay." He grins at me and I can't help but grin back. Maybe it won't be so bad staying here. I mean, the fear of Coin killing me is still there, but it isn't as dominant as it once was.

"But what about Crispin?" I ask, remembering that Cato does indeed have a roommate.

"He's bunking with Gale for the week." Cato says as he digs through his closet, looking for his uniform. He finds it and begins undressing right in front of me. At first I'm in shock, but then I remember that I have definitely seen him naked on more than one occasion and I should really just get over it already. But it's so hard not to stare. Even though I've seen him like this quite a few times, I don't think I'll ever be able to get over the sight. I watch his back muscles ripple as he pulls off his shirt and turns to toss it at me. I giggle, snatching it out of the air before it can hit me. He pulls on his pants quickly, and I take in the sight of his stomach as he turns around. Being here has done nothing but make his muscles bulge even more. His abdominal muscles stand out even more as well, and I remember the way they looked with water running down them. They almost reminded me of the rocks under the waterfall, disrupting the stream in such a beautiful way.

"Like what you see?" He asks and I look up at his face. I hadn't realized I was staring at him. My cheeks burn as he laughs at me, and I throw his dirty shirt back at him.

"Go to work already, would you?" I say, embarrassed that he's caught me staring at him once again.

"I don't want to leave you here all alone." He says, his voice turning serious.

"I don't think Coin is going to hurt me, Cato. She wants me to be her little puppet, remember?" I say more confidently than I feel.

"I'm not worried about her coming after you, I'm worried about you going out and looking for trouble." He has a stern look on his face and I can't help but laugh at him.

"Okay, _Dad_. I promise I will behave myself while you're working. When will you be off?" I start to get out of bed, realizing I should get dressed so I can at least walk down the hallway with him. I don't have my bearings here yet, so I'm sure I would get lost if I tried to find anything from this room.

He shakes his head at me, trying to hide his grin. "I'll be back before dinner, hopefully. When you're dressed, I can take you to the dining hall. You shouldn't get too lost on that floor." He kisses my forehead before heading into the bathroom.

I sort through my bag and realize I only brought one extra pair of clothes. I wasn't expecting to be here for so long. Oh well, I sigh. It isn't as if I've always had a clean pair of clothes to put on. I sniff the clothes I wore when I arrived and decide that they smell clean enough to put back on. Cato emerges from the bathroom just as I'm wiggling back into my pants.

He grins at me and I smile back, shaking my head. "I didn't pack for an extended stay." I gesture at my wrinkled clothes and he just smiles.

"You still look beautiful, no matter what you wear." My heart drops. _Beautiful_. I bet Cato has seen many girls who have been way more attractive than me, but I try not to think of that. Instead, I just smile at him to let him know I accept his compliment. "While you're up at the mess hall, you can get yourself some standard issue District 13 clothes. But I have to warn you, it's worse than the bunker clothes." He chuckles as he grabs my hand, leading me towards the door.

We make our way down the twisting hallways, into elevators, up stairs, and down more hallways until I start to hear chattering coming from a large room. When we enter, I'm amazed by how many people are in here. Cato notices my jaw drop, and explains. "Everyone here has to eat at the same time."

"Oh." I say as I follow him to the line. The lady behind the counter gives me a dirty look, fully aware that I am not from here.. But Cato sweet talks her and I end up with a decent amount of mush on my plate. I begin to wrinkle my nose at it, but stop. The bunker has spoiled me, apparently. Back before the games, I would have been quite happy with this amount of food.

We make our way through the maze of tables when Crispin calls us over. I grimace as I realize Gale is also sitting at that table, but Cato doesn't seem to notice, or care. We sit down across from Crispin and I stare down at my food. I don't want to make eye contact with Gale, as I'm sure he's trying to burn a hole through the top of my head with his glare.

Crispin and Cato chat like there's nothing wrong, and I'm amazed. I'm really thankful that Crispin has decided to become friends with Cato, although I couldn't say I would blame him if he still hated him. At least _he_ has a legitimate excuse, unlike Gale.

"So, you're still here?" Gale mutters from across the table. I glance at Cato and Crispin, but they are too deep in conversation to even notice.

"Looks like it." I say back, still not making eye contact with him.

"Dammit, Katniss. You shouldn't have stayed." The volume in his voice rises with his anger, but still no one notices.

"I didn't have a choice, Gale. Coin asked me to stay. I can't really say no to her—again."

"What?" He asks, curiosity taking over the anger.

"She wanted me to be the face of the rebellion, but I told her no." I say flatly, not really wanting to explain anything to him.

Gale chuckles, but it's cold. "And you believed her? She tried to put a bullet in your skull, remember?" I shudder as he says that, anger coming back to his voice.

"I don't want to fight, Gale. It's early. Please." I look up at him with pleading eyes. I don't want to remember everything Coin said to me yesterday. I don't want to think about any of that at all.

"Fine." He mutters, turning back down to his food. Crispin and Cato begin laughing hysterically, so I turn to listen in on their conversation.

"—and then when he got real close to the bush, a bunny jumped out! I kid you not, he almost wet himself." Crispin says through his laughter and Cato cracks up.

"Man, I would have loved to see that. Moss is such a sissy." Cato remarks, still grinning. Then Crispin turns to me.

"So, Katniss. What do you think of District 13 so far?"

"Well—it's different, I guess." I'm at a loss for words. I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I do hate it here. The bunker is a much better place for me. I don't have to look over my shoulder every second there. And I'm allowed outside. And the food is MUCH better. But I don't want to say any of that.

Cato and Crispin both laugh before Crispin continues. "Yeah, we know how you feel. But it isn't that bad, once you get used to it. Cato tells me he's going back with you next week." This catches Gale's attention, and he cocks his head to the side, just listening.

"He is. And I'm glad. Sorry I'm going to be stealing your roommate away, though." I say as Cato wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me in closer to him.

"That's alright with me. I'm switching to Gale's room anyways. He doesn't snore quite as loud as Cato." He puts his arm around Gale's shoulder, and Gale tries to shake him off with no luck. I can see Gale grin a little, and it makes me happy knowing he still has a soul somewhere in there.

"Right! Well we'll see how long Gale can stand your gas. I can guarantee you'll be out on your butt within a week." Cato shoots back at him playfully. Gale stiffens as Cato says his name, but relaxes again quickly.

Crispin laughs, being a good sport. Gale looks up at his watch and stands up, tapping Crispin on the shoulder. He nods at the clock on the wall and Crispin sighs, standing up as well.

"Well, it's been great, but we have to go. See you up there, Cato?" He asks, grabbing his tray from the table. Cato nods and glances up at the clock and then back down at his food.

"Stay out of trouble, Catnip." Gale mumbles before leaving, and we make eye contact. He gives me a half smile and I return it. I know he's been horrible to me lately, but he was my best friend for so long, it can't hurt to send him a little smile.

"Catnip?" Cato questions when they exit the room.

"It's just a nickname for me. He misheard me say my name the day we met and it kind of stuck." I shrug, and the happy memory of Gale and I makes me smile. I want _that_ Gale back. The one who could joke with me.

"Oh. It's kind of cute." He says, grinning back. I realize he could have reacted completely different, and I admire him for taking the high road. "Well, I better be off too. Please stay out of trouble. I'll see you tonight." He stands up and kisses my forehead. Then he leans closer and whispers in my ear. "I love you."

Butterflies flutter around in my stomach as I look up at him. "I love you, too." I mumble before grabbing his face in my hands and pulling his lips to meet mine. We break apart too soon for me, but I know he has to go. He grins at me and waves as he walks out the door.

And then I'm alone. I have no idea what I am going to do for an entire day, but exploring almost seems scary now. I shake my head, scolding myself for being such a baby. I used to do everything myself. Now I'm getting nervous about spending a day alone.

I look around the cafeteria and realize that it is starting to empty. I shovel the mush down my throat and throw my tray in the bins. I have no idea where I'm going, but I try to look like I know what I'm doing as I pass people in the hallway.

People are staring at me, and I know it's because of my clothes. They all know I don't belong here. They all have matching grey clothes and I'm wearing my white shirt and khaki pants from the bunker. I stick out like a sore thumb.

Maybe that will be my first mission: finding myself some clean clothes. I stop someone in the hallway, a woman in her late thirties with a kind smile. She points me in the right direction and soon I'm getting a lecture from a man named Booker, who is cautious when handing me the clothes.

"I'm not sure I should be doing this. After all, you're just visiting. You don't even have a schedule on your arm." He glances down at my arm and I hide it self-consciously.

"I'm here because President Coin asked me to stay an extra week. I'm sure you don't want to have to deal with me wearing these for a week straight." I gesture at my clothes that are already not the cleanest. He sighs.

"Fine. But I'm only giving you one pair. And you're to give them back before you leave. Understood?" When he bends down to pick up the clothes, I roll my eyes at him. The people here are so stingy with everything.

When he hands them to me, I politely smile at him and try to make my way back to Cato's room to change. It takes me over an hour to finally find it, after asking countless people for directions. Most of the people here seem to keep to themselves. Only a few actually helped me out.

When I finally make it to the room, I exhale a deep, relaxing breath. I lay on the bed for a while, just calming myself down. I hate being lost. I hate not knowing anything about this place; not having a single thing to do. Before I know it, I'm drifting off.

I'm not out long when I feel something hit my face. I open my eyes, but I can't see anything. And then I realize that I can't breathe. I begin to panic, my arms and legs flailing around helplessly as I try to figure out what is wrong. I grab an arm and try to claw it. But my attacker presses the pillow down harder on my face and I can feel the tears prick my eyes as something in my nose pops. I try to scream, but I can tell that it is muffled too much for anyone to hear.

I'm barely hanging on, coming in and out of consciousness a few times when the pillow is lifted off my face. My attacker has been ripped off of me and I can hear a body slam into the metal door. Another slam and someone is on the ground. I can't focus on sitting up, my brain is still trying to recover from the lack of oxygen. But before I completely pass out, I find Boggs standing over me, concern in his face. I think I feel him lifting me up, but I can't be sure.

I wake up in a bright room, hazy. Someone is holding my hand and I turn to see Cato's blonde head resting on the bed. He must sense me move, because he jerks up. His eyes are puffy, like he's been crying.

"Katniss." He says, his eyes filling with tears.

"Cato. What happened?" I ask, looking around. I'm in another damn hospital room.

"Someone attacked you. Boggs—he came to check on you and make sure you were doing okay. He stopped them, but we thought it was too late. He brought you up here a few hours ago and then found me. We weren't sure if you were going to wake up." His grip tightens on my hand but I ignore it.

"Someone tried to kill me." I process, taking it all in.

"Yes. They tried to suffocate you. But Boggs took them down to the holding cells. He can't hurt you now. But we haven't found out why, yet."

A shiver runs down my spine as I realize what he's saying. "So I could still be in danger, even though he's locked up."

Cato nods solemnly and I close my eyes, hoping that when I open them again, this will all have just been a dream. But when I open my eyes I see everything is still the same.

I lean closer to Cato so no one can hear my next question. "Do you think it could be Coin?"

Cato shakes his head. "I honestly have no idea. But she's probably our best bet. I mean, she's already tried to kill you once. His eyes grow dark and I use my free hand to touch his arm.

"This isn't your fault." I say, knowing he's blaming himself for leaving me.

"But it is. I knew you were in danger. I should have sent Boggs earlier to check on you. From now on, you go nowhere alone." He's firm and I don't argue. I'm actually glad to not be alone.

"But I have to leave soon. We're going on a rescue mission in District 2 and I know it better than any of our other men. I've found someone to stay back and watch over you." His eyes darken again and I only have one guess as to who is staying with me.

And as if on command, Gale comes through the door.

"Catnip. You're awake." He smiles a little, apparently glad to see that I am for the most part, unharmed. He glances at Cato and nods. "Cato."

"Gale." Cato nods back and then turns to me. "Well, I better get going. I promise this is my last mission. And then I won't leave you again." He kisses my forehead and I'm too weak to try to steal a real kiss from him again. He looks unsure about leaving, but Gale motions for him to go and he does.

"So, you got stuck babysitting?" I try to say lightly, but he can see right through my weak attempt at hiding my real question.

"Katniss, I asked to stay back. I do care about you, you know." He sits where Cato sat, but scoots the chair a bit further away.

"I know." I say quietly, and I almost think he doesn't hear me.

"Listen, about our last few encounters—" He begins but I interrupt.

"Don't worry about it Gale." I don't want to fight with him anymore, and I know if he brings all of it up again, we're bound to argue.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You weren't completely wrong about Cato. He's a decent guy and he really does seem to care about you. I just really care about you, Catnip. You know I would go crazy if anything ever happened to you." His eyes are filling with emotion and I'm in shock. I have never seen Gale so vulnerable. I want to reach out and comfort him, but I don't.

"You were right too. I shouldn't have come here." I gesture around the room and grin a little.

"You think?" He almost grins back, but apparently it's still a little too early to joke about the recent attempt on my life.

We sit in silence for what feels like forever. It isn't the comfortable silence we used to share out in the woods. It's uncomfortable, and I'm forced to break it.

"Why did you decide to come here? To District 13?" It's been bugging me since I heard he was leaving, but we've been so rocky lately I haven't really had the right to ask him. I probably still don't.

"I hate the Capitol. You know that better than anyone else. And if I can stop my siblings from ever having to go through what we went through, I have to try." I nod, understanding his answer perfectly. I wish I was as strong as Gale. I wish I could fight in this war alongside him, to protect Prim. But I can't be at fault for any more deaths. I can hardly believe he is okay with it. But I know his family means more than anything to him, and he'll do what he has to.

I did the same thing when I volunteered for Prim, so I hardly have the right to be skeptical of his decision.

"I'm sure they miss you." It's all I can manage to say, and I know I shouldn't have. His eyes begin to water, and I know I've upset him.

"I miss them. But they are safe and that's all that matters. How is the bunker, by the way?" He's changed the subject and I can't help but feel relieved. Neither of us is good in an awkward situation.

I begin to fill him in on everything that's been going on. I share some stories of Rory and Vick during one of my classes. Posy comes to some of my classes as well, but she doesn't really like the water so much, and we've been focusing on that a lot.

"Rory is amazing at knot tying. Finnick has told me that pretty soon, we can recruit Rory to be a teacher for that." He grins, proud that his brother is excelling at something important. He spent most of his time arguing with Rory about hunting. Rory wanted to help so badly with the hunting, but Gale refused. Now, Rory is learning all sorts of things about survival and is loving every second of it. Vick, on the other hand, is having the hardest time. "Vick got so frustrated with his knots one day, he almost threw a hissy fit in front of everyone. But Annie managed to calm him down pretty quickly. They've been pretty close since then. I think he really enjoys her company." I smile, remembering the way Annie spoke to him. She isn't one for words, but she found the perfect ones to calm Vick down that day and he's been following her around like a puppy dog ever since. Other than Finnick and I, Vick is the only person Annie seems to be normal around. She can laugh and joke with him and I sit in awe as I watch them.

Gale and I continue talking, and I catch him up on everything going on back at the bunker. He seems to have a special interest on how Madge is doing, but I don't have any new information to give him on her. Before I left, she was still strapped to that bed. They did let her out once, for one of my classes. But she became hysterical and they had to put her back before she scared all of the children who were just learning how to make shelter on the ground.

I begin to relax, and even though nurses come and go, checking my stats and my pupil dilation, it almost feels like Gale and I are back in our woods, alone and happy.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thank you all SOOO much for the reviews! I love how all of you are getting so into this story! And I love all of these long reviews I keep getting! I really enjoy reading all of your thoughts! And to shloh, it could be a reference ;) You'll just have to wait and see! I'm very thankful for all of you who have been reading my story! I promise I'll keep up with the updates! But I have to apologize for this Chapter. It's ridiculously short. But I actually have a huge test to study for tonight! I promise I'll make it up with an extra-long chapter tomorrow! (Plus, I'm just evil.) Read and Review! I love you all! **

Chapter 22

I wake up to the bright lights of my hospital room. I notice I'm still attached to some machines, though not nearly as much as before. Apparently I'm almost better. Hopefully that means I can leave soon.

I look around and spot Gale sleeping in a chair a few feet away from me. He's slumped down in his chair and his neck looks like it's in a really uncomfortable position. But I smile as I watch him. Having him in here comforts me, although I have to admit I wish he were Cato.

_Cato_.

I wonder when he'll be back. I know I've slept a lot since he left. Gale and I had our conversation and then I fell asleep. They woke me up this morning for breakfast, and then I went right back to sleep.

I look around for a clock but I don't see one. It has to be at least the middle of the afternoon. Gale stirs, and I glance his way.

"Hey sleeping beauty. Have a good nap?" He smiles at me and I smile back. I'm really glad we're back to ourselves. At least, for the most part. I don't think things will ever go quite back to normal, but at least it's better than it was twenty four hours ago.

"Looks like you got a bit of sleep too." I laugh at him as he straightens up and tries to smooth out his shirt. He chuckles, giving up after a few seconds.

"I didn't mean to. I guess I just got bored. There isn't much else to do in here." He says, running his fingers through his hair. I realize he must have been bored out of his mind sitting in here with me. I'm actually surprised he stayed in here the whole time. Gale is like me, and sitting still is ridiculously hard for the two of us.

"Sorry." I offer.

"It's fine. I'd rather be sitting in here making sure you're safe, then be out there worrying about you nonstop." He tries to smile at me, but I can tell he either really hates that someone tried to kill me or hates that he's stuck babysitting.

"Do you know when they're going to let me leave?" I ask, changing the subject. Maybe once I'm out of the hospital, Gale won't have to worry about me so much. I even make a mental note to lock the door to my—err, Cato's room next time.

"I think they just wanted to let you sleep a little longer before they let you go." He shrugs at me.

"But I'm still hooked up to all these machines." I sigh, grabbing at the tubes attaching me to them.

"That was my fault. I wanted to make sure you were okay still." He looks down sheepishly.

"Thanks." I say quietly and we sit in silence. A nurse comes in and greets me, and then thankfully removes my connections to the machines. Gale stands up to leave so I can get out of this awful hospital gown. I change quickly, and meet him out in the hall.

"Ready to go?" He asks, holding out his arm for me to grab, but I don't take it.

"Yes. And I can walk just fine." I smile at him so he knows I'm not being hostile. He shrugs and then begins walking. I follow closely behind, but after a while, I realize he isn't going back towards Cato's room. Or at least I don't think he is. I'm not exactly sure where I am. All of these hallways look alike. But I do notice something I've seen before. I think we're heading towards the hangers.

I hurry my steps so that I'm right up next to Gale and give him a questioning look, but he just continues in silence. We make our way through the hovercrafts until we reach the other side of the room. Gale grabs my hand and pulls me through a door, shutting it quietly.

"What are we doing in here?" I ask, becoming aware of how tense Gale's body has become.

"Katniss, you're in trouble. This is the only place I can take you where they won't overhear us." He says, turning to look at me. His face is stone cold and a shiver runs down my spine.

"Wh—what do you mean?" I ask, backing away from him. I really hate when people say that. Haymitch said it to me and I had to pretend to love Cato to protect my family. That ended up not being so bad in the end. But still, I don't like being in trouble. It usually means an attempt on my life. Or the life of someone I love.

"You know that man who attacked you?" I nod and he continues. "Well, he's from the Capitol. Boggs got it out of him last night and he didn't want to tell Coin quite yet. He's worried she might already know about it." I give him a confused look and he stops, remembering that I have no idea what he's talking about. "Right, well, we have a theory, and this only gives us more suspicion that we're right. A few weeks ago, Boggs caught Coin having a heated conversation with someone. He never saw the person, but he recognized the voice instantly. Coin was talking to Snow. Arguing with him, yes. But what we can't figure out is why she would even be in communication with him. Boggs left before he could hear much of anything, so that Coin wouldn't be suspicious of him. But he came to me and the rest of our group. They should have brought Cato up to speed last night." I narrow my eyes at him and he shrugs. "We weren't sure if we could trust him or not. After all, he is from District 2."

"That doesn't mean any—." I start, but he stops me.

"Katniss, please. Let me finish before you start a fight with me." He shakes his head and sighs before continuing. "Anyways, we think Coin and snow may be allies. I mean, yes, they are on opposing sides. But think about it. People hate Snow. Coin has the support of almost every district. The Capitol benefited majorly from the last rebellion. Maybe they're hoping to do it again."

"That's crazy, Gale. Why would Coin be fighting against the Capitol if she is just going to ally with Snow? It makes absolutely no sense." I stare at Gale, and I'm pretty sure he's gone completely mad.

"I know how it sounds, Katniss. But why else would Coin be communicating with Snow?" He has me stumped there. I try to think of a logical explanation, but I come up with nothing. All this information is swirling around in my head and I'm not even sure I could come up with a logical explanation for anything at this point.

"I guess. But it still doesn't make sense. Why would Snow give up the power he has and give it to Coin?" I feel like we're going in circles, but I really do want to understand how they've come to this conclusion.

Thankfully, Gale is patient with me. "Snow doesn't have much support. Sure, the Capitol loves him. And maybe District 1 and 2. But the rest of us hate him. So if Coin comes into power, she will have the majority's support. She can make it seem like things are finally going to turn around for all of us who have suffered under the Capitol's rule and then make it ten times worse. Everyone will feel like they're in her debt and that maybe she has a plan, so they won't question her for quite a while."

My mouth turns into an "o" as I understand what he's saying. "But why would she even put up this fight? Why are they killing off a bunch of people if they aren't really planning on changing much? Coin is killing off her own supporters. Why?"

Gale lowers his head. "I honestly haven't figured that out yet. I guessed it was for show, but it seems a little much. But who knows. Coin is cold hearted." I shudder, knowing he could be right. They could be sending their people off to death for no real reason other than to make this whole thing believable. "Come on, we better go before anyone notices we're missing." He grabs my arm and leads me back out the door quickly. We hurry through the hanger and back into the hallway. There are a few people walking past us, so Gale speaks up. "So how did you like those hovercrafts?"

"They were amazing! I wish the bunker had a better hovercraft." I say as enthusiastically as I can, playing along with him. He grins at me, glad that my horrible acting has improved. When we're out of anyone else's earshot, I speak up again. "So what are we going to do? I mean, we aren't allowed to go outside or anything."

He looks down at me and grins. "Well, it's almost dinner time, so we might as well head up to the cafeteria." I frown, remembering how tasteless the food was at breakfast. I do realize, however, that I got to skip lunch. And with the tiny proportions they're giving me, my stomach feels pretty empty. So I shrug and follow him. He seems to have gotten this whole area down pretty well and we're in the cafeteria in no time.

"Ms. Everdeen." My blood goes cold as I recognize the voice. I turn to see Coin standing behind me. Gale tenses, but doesn't move. He just nods to her and she doesn't even acknowledge him. "I heard you were attacked recently. I'm sorry to say we don't have a protocol for something like that. It has never happened here before. But I'm glad to see you walking around again." She tries to smile at me but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Thank you." I say half-heartedly. Maybe if I seem polite, I can get on her good side and she'll stop trying to kill me. It just hits me that I didn't ask Gale why she's still trying to kill me. I'll have to ask him later.

"Have you thought about my proposal?" She asks. Way to get right to the point. Even if she wasn't part of my attack, she only seemed to care about my attack long enough to get me to talk to her.

"There's nothing to think about. I already gave you my answer and it won't be changing." I say firmly, making shaky eye contact with her. I wish I could be more confident, but the look she's giving me just makes me want to melt away to nothing.

She sighs. "I really wish you would give it more thought. Not to mention, if you did decide to accept my offer, I could provide security for you. We can't have the face of the rebellion dying on us now, could we?" I shudder, realizing why she had someone try to kill me. She really didn't want me dead. She wanted to scare me. I can feel the anger rising in me, and I know I won't be able to hold back. Gale must notice too, because he grabs my arm.

"I'm sorry, President Coin. But Ms. Everdeen really needs to get some food in her. She was feeling dizzy a few moments ago." And with that, he whips me around and we're back in the food line. I'm afraid to look back at her, for fear that her glare is going to burn a hole right through me. Instead I smile at Gale and give him a silent thank you.

"I hate that woman." He whispers to me and shudders dramatically. I give him a small laugh, although I can't shake the feeling I get every time I have an encounter with Coin. She really freaks me out.

We get our food and make our way through the crowded room to an empty table in the back. We sit in comfortable silence as I try to force the mush down my throat. It's different mush than I got at breakfast, but it is mush all the same. A tall man with a buzz cut walks up to our table and Gale stands at attention for him.

"Can I have a moment of your time, Soldier Hawthorne?" He asks, giving me a nod as a greeting.

Gale looks at me and I smile at him, letting him know it's alright to leave me for a few seconds in this ridiculously crowded room. I don't think anyone will attempt to kill me in front of so many witnesses. He looks reluctant to leave me, but takes a few steps away from the table to speak with the man.

As the man speaks to Gale, I watch his face drop as he nods in understanding. The man places a hand on his shoulder and Gale shakes his hand before heading back to the table.

"What did he want?" I ask, curious. Gale's mood has changed to solemn and it worries me.

"He had to give me some news." He says flatly, staring down at his plate.

"What kind of news?" I ask, becoming annoyed at his vagueness.

"News you aren't going to like."

"Dammit Gale! Stop dancing around it, will you." I'm glaring at him now. Gale doesn't usually play games with me. It's one thing we've always had a mutual agreement on.

"It's my squad. Cato. Boggs. Crispin. They've lost contact with District 13." He looks up at me apologetically and my heart stops.

"What?" I ask, knowing I must have misheard him.

"We don't know what's happened to them. They've disappeared." And then the room spins and I black out.

**A/N: Yes, I know. I'm a horrible person. I had to leave ya'll with a cliffhanger. But I couldn't keep writing or I would have had a SUPER DUPER long chapter. This just seemed like the perfect time to stop. SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER (not really, but sort of. Don't read if you don't want anything possibly spoiled.) And don't get your panties in a bunch, Cato is FINE! I adore my Cato and I promise I've hurt him enough. But I needed a little more drama, and I don't want to turn this into an episode of 16 and Pregnant. Or any kind of love triangle crap. So this was all I could think of! Have faith in me! I will get you all through this okay! I promise!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews AGAIN You guys are amazing! As promised, I will have a longer chapter for you all! This one, however, is just normal length. Today was super busy, and I am now studying for yet another test! (My class is fast paced, and we have 2-3 tests a week! Yuck!) Sorry for that last chapter being so short! I like to pride myself in long chapter lengths because I myself adore fanfics where I get a lot out of each chapter, especially if I'm stuck waiting forever for the next update! I'm an impatient person! Anyways! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! As always, send me some love! **

**P.S. Thanks for all the good luck wishes! I got an A on my test! **

Chapter 23

I wake up in a damn hospital again. It makes me uncomfortable that I'm getting used to this. It's happened a lot since I've gotten out of the arena and I'm starting to think I became a ridiculously weak person. I mean, yes, the news that Cato has gone missing is kind of devastating. But the old me wouldn't have passed out because of it. The old me would have ran into the woods and hunted the day away. Of course, I haven't been able to do that since being reaped. That could be the reason why I've become such a wimp.

I shake my head and hear Gale chuckle. I turn to glare at him. "What the hell is so funny?" I ask, fuming.

"You. I know exactly what you're thinking."

"Do not. And shouldn't you be a little more upset about your entire squad going missing?" I spit at him and his smile fades.

"I am, Katniss. But I'm also glad that you're awake. I didn't have time to run around the table and catch you, so you hit your head pretty hard." He glances up and I reach my hands up to follow his gaze. I feel a bandage wrapped around my head and groan.

"They're never going to let me out of here!" I wail, aware that with my current head wound, they're going to want to keep me for observation. Damn it!

Gale chuckles again and stops as soon as I glare at him. "Hey, Catnip. It's okay. If I know those men as well as I think I do, they'll be safe." His assurance does nothing to help calm me down. But hey, at least I'm staying angry enough to not cry about it. Or pass out. I snort at my own inside joke and Gale looks at me quizzically. He must think I don't believe him, because he presses on. "I'm serious. They're all really talented, determined men. No matter what's happened to them, I'm sure they're handling it. They probably just had to go to an underground rebel hideout and lost contact for a few hours. I'm sure they'll be home soon." I know he doesn't believe most of what he's saying, but I give him a little smile.

"Thanks. You're probably right." I manage to say, although I don't believe most of what he's saying either. "Keep me updated?" I ask and he nods.

"Of course."

"Thanks."

And we sit in silence for what seems like hours before a doctor comes in to check on my wound. He seems fairly sure that I have a concussion and wants to keep me overnight for observation. Of course. Oh well, I guess it really doesn't matter where I'm sleeping since Cato isn't back yet. Sleeping in this hospital room with Gale by my side is a better alternative to sleeping alone in the room that I recently got attacked in. So I don't argue with him.

Gale looks surprised with my cooperation and an amused smile comes to his face as I thank the doctor. I just shake my head at him, as if he's just being really immature about the whole thing.

Then his face lights up as he thinks of something. He begins reminding me of things we used to do out in the woods. We sit in my room and laugh and joke about how things used to be and all of the crazy things we had to deal with in the woods outside District 12.

We're interrupted by the door opening. I'm surprised to see Castiel and can't help but jump out of my bed to hug him.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, backing away from him and realizing how awkward my greeting must have been. He seems not to have noticed; or rather he's noticed my now pink cheeks and is kind enough not to mention anything.

"Coin informed me of the troubles you've been having, so we made an early trip to get you." He smiles at me and I realized I've missed him. After a few days with Coin, I almost miss Snow. But there's something in his voice that just doesn't seem right. I don't think too much about it though, because the circumstances are strange and maybe he is just as glad to see me as I am to see him.

Castiel must just notice Gale, and nods at him. "Gale. Good to see you."

"Likewise." Gale says, smiling at him.

Then Castiel turns back to me. "Ready to go?"

I hesitate, remembering Cato is supposed to come back with me. "I—I don't want to leave Cato. He was supposed to come back with me." Tears threaten to fall and I try to force them back. "His squad is missing."

Castiel wheels closer to me and places his hand over mine. "Don't worry about that. We'll bring him back, I promise." The way he says it makes me look down at him, trying to read his thoughts through his facial expressions. But he's not giving anything away. He turns to Gale. "Would you like to make a trip back to see your family, Mr. Hawthorne? It doesn't look like you have much to do here with your whole squad missing."

Gale looks at him skeptically. "I'm not sure if that's such a good idea. I should probably be out looking for my squad, not running off for a vacation while they're missing."

Castiel just chuckles. "Of course. But it would only be for a few days. We're coming back at our normal day to pick up more refugees. We made this special trip for Katniss. And the kitchen here has seemed to have run out of anything edible. I just came from there. Thank goodness we made an early trip. I can't believe what they were serving." He has a truly disgusted look on his face and I can't help but laugh.

"I know what you mean." I giggle and he joins in. Gale just looks at us as if we're crazy. I know he would never complain about free food, but I can't help it. I've been spoiled lately with Capitol food before the games and then decent hospital food after the games and then the bunker food after that. And I have to say, that bunker food almost makes me feel okay about not hunting every day, although I do miss the wild dog stew that Greasy Sae used to make.

"So, are you going to join us?" He looks at Gale with a look that almost forces Gale to say yes. Gale sighs, defeated and stands to join us. I don't even change out of my hospital gown. Instead, I just shimmy into some pants. I don't really want to wear the District 13 clothes anyways, and I'm supposed to leave them here. I don't think they'll notice one little pair of pants missing, but even if they do, I'm not going without pants all the way back to the bunker.

We make our way down the hallways and I realize Castiel knows his way around here as well as Gale. Then I remember that he's from here. We're down at our hovercraft within minutes, and we load as quickly as possible. The hovercraft is mostly empty, although there are a few supplies and refugees scattered around.

I sit next to Gale and try to sleep. But, even though I'm leaving without Cato, I'm still grateful to be going back to the familiar bunker. I'm excited to see Prim and Briar and Ryker and even my mother. I can't wait to get back to teaching with Finnick and Annie.

I'm almost giddy, and I stop myself. I can't believe I'm so excited to go back to teaching people how to survive in the wilderness. I mean, I was really skeptical about it at first, but now I realize I've missed it since I've been gone. I felt important; I felt like I was actually doing something helpful.

We've been in the air for about an hour when Castiel comes over to us, a wide smile on his face. "So, I wasn't exactly honest with you two back in the hospital." We look at him, confused. "I mean, I didn't lie to you, I just didn't offer you certain information. I knew they were listening to us, so I had to wait until we got back on our own hovercraft." He's leaning closer to us, whispering to make sure no one hears what he has to say next. "We have the missing squad. They found a rebel hideout in District 2, where we had some men. The squad cut communication with District 13 because of the theory that Boggs has come up with." He turns to Gale, as if only addressing him. "I have to say, I'm not surprised one bit about Coin's alliance with Snow." Then he turns back so he's facing the two of us. "Anyways, they made contact with us instead, and we picked them up right before we came to get you two. Cato insisted that we rescue you immediately." He chuckles to himself and my heart stops.

Cato is okay. He's back at the bunker waiting for me. I become ecstatic, knowing I'll be seeing him in a few hours.

Gale just sits back, taking all the information in. But I leap out of my seat to hug Castiel. "Thank you." I whisper and he pats my back knowingly. For the rest of the ride, I cannot sit still. I tap my feet, twiddle my fingers, and grind my teeth, becoming more impatient with every passing second.

By the time our hovercraft lands, I feel like I'm going to explode. The doors open and I shoot out before anyone else has a chance.

I sprint down the hallways, breathing in the familiar smell of the bunker. It's damp, yes, but still feels somehow cleaner than District 13. It feels fresh and new, yet old and comforting.

As I run, I realize I have no idea where I'm going. And as people stare, I realize I'm still wearing the District 13 pants under my ugly hospital gown. But I don't care. I just want to find Cato. And my sister. And my mother. And Briar and Ryker. I just need to find them all. I'm running down the hallway to Cato's family's room. The room where I stayed while Cato was gone.

I open the door and am disappointed to find the room empty. I run to my family's room and find that it is also empty. My heart sinks. Maybe they're in the infirmary. That can't be a good sign.

I race down the spiral hallway faster than I've ever run before, weaving in and out of the people who are gawking at me. I make it to the infirmary and my fears become reality. I can see Prim sitting in between Ryker and Briar, holding both of their hands to comfort them.

As I rush to them, Ryker looks up, his eyes widening. He begins to stand up, and the others look up to see what's got his attention. As they notice me as well, they all stand up. Before I reach them, a tall, blonde figure steps between us.

My heart races as he turns and I see those beautiful piercing blue eyes looking back at me. He sprints towards me and we close the distance between us quickly. His strong arms embrace me and I collapse in them. I've missed the warmth of his body. I thought I would never get to feel his muscles against my body when they told me his squad had gone missing. I honestly thought he was a goner. I'm trembling and he looks down at me with concern.

"I—I thought you were... They said your squad went missing. And then Castiel told me you were fine. But when we got here, I couldn't find you. When I saw them sitting down here, I thought you were…" I can't even bring myself to say what I thought, as the tears fill up my eyes, making it hard for me to see him.

"Katniss. Shhhh. It's okay, baby. I'm here. I'm okay." He pushes my head against his chest and I can't stop the tears from falling. After a few minutes of my mental breakdown, I stop and pull myself away from him. I glance around him (because I can't see over his shoulder) and notice that Prim and Ryker and Briar are all watching us closely.

"Why are you all down here then?" I stutter, looking back up at him with puffy eyes.

"My mother. They're doing her surgery today." He says, his face falling. I grab his face in my hands and make him look at me.

"She'll be okay. She's in good hands. I'm sorry I freaked out over nothing. I just thought I lost you." I mumble and stand up on my toes to make my lips meet his. I hear a snicker and a 'Gross!' and I remember that we have an audience. I back away from him and turn him around so he can see them too.

I try to hold back a smile as I see Briar roll her eyes and Prim giggle, slapping Ryker's arm for his outburst. Ryker just looks star struck, staring straight at us with his nose wrinkled in disgust.

I break my contact with Cato so I can hug them.

"I'm glad you're home. I missed you." Prim says and I grin at her.

"I missed you too, Little Duck." I hug her harder before turning to Briar and Ryker. They both run into my arms.

"We're so glad you're back, too." Ryker says.

"Finnick has been making a mess of your class." Briar says, laughing when I pull away to give her a confused look.

"How could he have messed anything up? I haven't even been gone that long!" The three kids look at each other and begin cracking up. Then, before I even have a chance to sit down, they all begin telling me different stories at once. Cato laughs and drags me down onto the couch next to him and we sit and try to listen to them all.

They're all laughing so hard and telling different stories at once that it's hard to keep up. All I get out of their stories is that Finnick accidently lit a bunch of bushes on fire or someone's hair; I'm not quite sure. That, and Vick finally learned to swim, but a big fish latched onto his toe and now he won't go near the water again. There were a few other stories in there, but I couldn't understand much through their giggling.

We're all beaming as my mother comes out of a doorway and we fall silent. Cato stands and I do the same; the kids follow our lead.

My mother looks at us and takes a deep breath, waiting a few seconds before grinning. "Marigold is fine. We got the tumor and there doesn't seem to be any complications. We won't know for sure until she wakes up, but she should have a nice, quick recovery." Cato grabs her in his huge arms and she seems shocked at first, but then pats him on the back awkwardly. I can't help but laugh at her reaction, and Prim joins in.

Everyone is hugging and laughing as my mother tells us to shoo. Apparently we're being too loud. So we make our way out of the infirmary and Briar announces that she's hungry. Ryker joins in, rubbing his stomach. Prim suggests that it's probably dinner time and they begin to head towards the cafeteria.

"Go on without us!" Cato calls out, reaching out to grab my hand. They don't seem too bothered by our departure, and continue to make their way towards the food. I look up at Cato questioningly and he just grins, dragging me up the spiral hallway. We step out of the bunker door, through the cavern and out to the lake.

I take a deep breath of air and am thankful to be back. "Where are we going?" I ask him and he just gives me a sly grin. I notice the shadows taking over most of our lake. "It's going to be dark soon." I say, but he doesn't seem to care. He begins leading me behind the waterfall, but still doesn't speak. "Are you taking me to our place?"

He turns and grins at me. "Our place? Last I heard, you've taken the whole bunker there!" He accuses playfully.

"Wait!" I try to stop in my tracks but he's much stronger than me. He keeps a steady pace, never letting go of my hand. "If we aren't going to our place—that lake, then where are we going?"

"You'll see." That cocky grin of his greets me as he turns his head back for a second. I sigh and give up. Where exactly could he take me? It's not like he could have had much time to explore since he's been back. But he keeps walking, like he has a destination.

We weave in and out of trees until we come to the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. Through thick trees with long, flowing branches, I see pool after pool, one flowing into the next. There seems to be steam in the air and I look at him and raise my eyebrow. "What is this place?"

"Hot springs." He says simply. He lets go of my hand but I hardly notice. I'm too busy taking in the sight. There are light bugs all around, almost as if they're acting like floating candles for us. It's enchanting, and I'm mesmerized by the beauty of this place until I hear Cato clear his throat.

I turn to look at him and start laughing. He's standing in his underwear with his hands on his hips. "Well, don't you want to get in?" He asks, grinning mischievously at me. I laugh back as I begin to strip off my clothes as well. I throw my pants at him and slip off my underwear quickly, running for the closest pool before Cato can catch me. I hear him drop his underwear on the ground and run after me. But I make it into the water before he has a chance to catch me.

It stings my skin a little, but I jump right in. I don't want to give my body time to get used to the burning hot water; I just want to submerge myself completely. I still feel a little self-conscious about being so exposed in front of Cato.

But as I turn towards him, I spy him sauntering towards me, without a care in the world. Of course he would be perfectly okay with being naked, I snort to myself, shaking my head. Not that he would have any reason to be worried about his appearance.

He plops down next to me, splashing hot water all over my hair and face. "Hey!" I exclaim, laughing as he splashes me again. But then he grabs my waist and drags me towards him. He wraps his arms around me as he scoots me onto his lap.

"I missed you." He says between the kisses he plants on my cheek, then by my ear, then trailing down my neck. His breath tickles against my wet skin and I squirm.

He looks up at me and my eyes water as I speak. "I missed you. I—I was so…" I don't even know what to say, but all of my worries about him being hurt, or worse, still have me shaken up. He pulls me tight against him and I sigh.

"Don't worry about that now. I'm safe. You're safe. Everything is going to be okay." His voice soothes me and I lean into his chest. Even with the damp smells of the hot springs, I can still smell him. I take a deep breath of his scent and he chuckles at me. "Are you sniffing me?"

"Yes, I am. Just in case you have to leave me again. I don't want to ever forget how you smell." He gives me a crooked grin.

"Well, I'm glad you think I smell good. I haven't bathed in a few days." He laughs as he tries to pull me face towards his armpit, and I push him away and wrinkle my nose.

"You're such a gentleman sometimes." I gasp, trying to get out of his reach, although his arms are so long, I'm sure he could reach all the way across this pool. He grabs my arm and pulls me back towards him, flipping me so that my back rests against his chest.

He holds me in place and rests his head on mine. "You smell alright, I guess." He grins into my hair and I elbow him gently.

"I smell just fine." I spit at him playfully.

"Right. So, how was District 13 without me?" His voice becomes serious and I want to turn to look at him but he won't let me. "I'm sorry I left you like that. I had no idea what was going on until we were already in District 2."

"It's alright. I understand." I lean into him. "Gale took pretty good care of me. I think we may have patched up things a little." Oh shoot! I forgot all about Gale until just now. I wonder if he's angry with me for leaving him like that. He shouldn't be. His family is here. Hopefully he's been so preoccupied with them that he didn't even realize that I booked it as soon as we landed. I don't want to mess things up with him again. I really do love his friendship.

"Gale." Cato groans and I turn my head up to see his face. He's smiling at me.

"You know, he isn't all that bad." I say, defending my friend.

"I know. He did volunteer to take care of you, after all. But there's just something about the way he looks at you… I think he's in love with you."

I wrinkle my nose at him. "He is not. We're friends, that's all. He's like an older brother to me." I turn away from him so he can't see my cheeks getting red. He thinks Gale likes me? Yikes! Someone is paranoid! I shake it off, and then remember that Gale had been visiting Madge daily when he was living in the bunker. "I think he likes Madge." I state, proud of my hypothesis.

"Madge?" Cato questions and I realize he probably has no clue who she is. I visited her as often as I could, but I don't think I ever mentioned her to Cato.

"She was basically my only friend, other than Gale. She understood me. She's the one who gave me my mockingjay pin." I begin to tell him more about her and he listens intently. "We should go see her tomorrow. I'm sure she'd love to meet you. I wonder if anyone has been visiting her." I become sad, knowing I should have mentioned something to her. She's so fragile. I wish there was something I could do to help her out.

My thoughts are interrupted as Cato trails his lips down my neck again. My lips part and a sound comes out of my throat that makes Cato chuckle. He flips me around so I'm facing him. I grin as our lips meet, and soon passion is taking over. His kisses heat me up, making these hot springs seem lukewarm.

We spend the rest of the evening in the hot springs, just kissing and touching and being together in general. We talk, we laugh, and then we kiss more. I'm so glad to have him back that I'm not even that upset when we have to leave. Cato insists on us making it back before anyone wakes up. We walk hand in hand through the woods, taking our time. We make it back to the bunker and silently slip into Cato's room. It's empty, and I realize Briar and Ryker must still be staying in the room with my mother and Prim.

Cato grins when he sees the room is empty, and drags me down on the bed with him. His body is radiating heat, but I don't mind. Being close to him is worth the uncomfortable warmness I'm going to have to suffer through tonight.

**A/N: Someone needs to remind me to stop re-reading the dang Hunger Games! I got the eBook of it and spent half of my shift at work reading it :P This whole fanfiction thing was supposed to help ease my obsession with this book, but I keep wanting to re-read it! I can't wait for the movie to come out on DVD so I can watch my sexy Cato in action ;) When Atala says "Everybody will want to grab a sword…" in the movie and it shows Cato, I definitely become immature and think dirty things ;) Haha I know it's bad, but I get all sorts of upset when he dies in the end Anywho… Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I think on my busier days, I may start replying to the reviews you all give me! I had no idea I could even do that until today when someone replied to a review I wrote them! Then I can personally thank each and every one of you for being amazing instead of grouping you all as one amazing chunk of people :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Thank you all for taking this lovely journey with me. As my first fanfic, I would like to think it went pretty well. However, I am not exactly sure if I'm okay with it or where it has been going (which has been nowhere, really). So this will be the last chapter. But before your hearts break (I know, I'm modest ;P) I want you all to know that this story is ****not**** finished. Think of these first 24 chapters as a prequel (I know, a VERY long prequel… but it's just the beginning of Cato and Katniss' journey!). I just really need my story to have a direction and as of now, I have no idea where it's going. So, I need to pause it until I can figure that part out. I love you all so much for reading and reviewing and subscribing to my story! I promise you, I will be working on making the next installment for this story. But for now, I think I'm going to start working on a new fanfic. I need to clear my mind so I can think of something extraordinary for Cato and Katniss! Please bear with me and look out for my next fanfic! And please never forget how much you all mean to me! I will never forget all the kind words I've gotten for this fanfic and I promise that as soon as I have more free time, I will start the second part to this story! Believe me; I love Cato and Katniss as much as you all! I just want to do it right. Please read and enjoy this last chapter! I've tried to make sure it is extra special for you all! Lots of love! 3**

Chapter 24

I wake up feeling sticky and hot. I can feel Cato's heavy arm draped over my waist and I smile, thankful to have him lying next to me once more. It's strange how accustomed to him I have become in such a short amount of time.

I mean, it still feels like only yesterday when I wanted to claw his eyes out in the hospital. I remember how I was so upset that he was in the hospital with me that the doctors couldn't even trust me to stay coherent without doing damage to myself or someone else. And now, I find comfort in his arms that I don't think I can ever find again; not in the woods, hunting like I used to; not even in the smiles and pats that Prim gives me as comfort.

I feel safer than I've ever felt in my entire life, and I guess I partially have the Capitol to thank for that. I laugh to myself as I process this ridiculous idea. The Capitol has taken my father, Peeta, Rue, and my entire childhood away, and yet it has brought me Cato.

If someone would have come up to me during training and told me that I would fall head over heels for the monstrosity from District 2, I would have laughed in their face. Now, I don't even like imagining being without him. Hell, I was pretty miserable in District 13 when he was gone. I felt useless. I missed him so much it was almost crippling.

As I ponder all of this, I carefully turn so that I'm facing the still sleeping Cato. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, and I'm again reminded of how when I first walked into his hospital room my guard dropped, seeing him like this. And even though he was faking sleeping, just seeing him lying down with his eyes closed and no emotion on his face made me want to trust him.

I study his face, following the angle of his perfectly sculpted jaw to his messy, blonde hair. I want to reach up and run my fingers through it, but I know I'll wake him if I do that. So instead, I just look. I watch his eyes flutter underneath their lids, and think of his piercing blue eyes.

Much like Peeta's, they make me weak in the knees. I never admitted it when Peeta was around, but his eyes made me feel like I could actually have a normal life, with love and laughter and happiness. Of course, all of that was shattered because of the games. That and I barely knew him.

But unlike Peeta's eyes, Cato's have that something extra that I just can't place. There's more hurt in his eyes; he's seen more pain and suffering than Peeta. I'm sure most of that has had to do with his upbringing, having had to spend his entire life training to fight 23 other children to the death. He missed out on a real childhood, much like I did. And I can see that in his eyes. He understands me and I understand him.

His lips twitch a little, almost forming a smile. I wonder what he's dreaming about. Deep down, I hope he's dreaming about me. But in all honesty, I'm just glad he's having a good dream instead of a nightmare. I'm happy that my presence does just as much good to him as his does to me. I love that I don't have nightmares when I'm with him. Sure, maybe one day, the novelty of having his big, strong arms around me might fade and the nightmares might return. But at least I know I'll have him to wake up to, to hold me until I calm down.

His eyes flutter open and a grin takes over his closed mouth. "Hey." He almost whispers, our faces so close that I can feel his breath on mine.

"Hey." I smile back, enjoying our closeness.

"How long have you been awake?" He asks, not moving from our position.

"Not too long." I say happily, still taking in his facial structure as we talk.

"You should have woken me." He pulls me in tighter.

"I thought about it. But I like watching you when you sleep." My cheeks burn and I listen to how weird that sounds. But I really shouldn't care. I'm just being honest.

"I like watching you sleep too. You look so peaceful." He says, placing a soft kiss on my forehead as I turn to rest my head on his chest. My head rises and falls with his breathing and it relaxes me.

"Being with you makes me feel peaceful." I mumble, enjoying the serene feeling flowing through me. And it's the truth. Whenever he is near me, I'm much calmer. I've been known to have quite a temper, but when I'm around him it's suppressed quite a bit.

We just lie there in each other's arms for what feels like hours. Neither of us moves much, except when Cato has to move me to his other side when his arm falls asleep.

A thought pops into my head, breaking the silence. "How did you find those hot springs? You must have only arrived up at the bunker half a day before me, if that." I look up at him to see a grin forming on his face.

"Castiel told me how to find it. He thought we deserved a night out." I feel the fire flooding my cheeks, wondering if Castiel had any idea of what we did.

I decide right then that I should steer clear of him for a while, for the sake of my dignity. I'd rather not have him think Cato and I are just horny teenagers. Especially when it means so much more than that to the both of us. We do it for the closeness that we get from it; for the way we get to express our love for each other.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks with a sly grin and I realize he's spotted my blushing.

"Nothing really. Just… I wonder if Castiel knew—you know." I sputter, not being able to get the words out. I know I shouldn't have an issue talking about this with him, but I do. It just means so much to me, and we haven't talked about it too much. I like that though, it just makes it feel more special to me.

He chuckles as my cheeks get brighter. "Oh, that? Probably." My eyes go wide and I playfully slap him.

"You aren't supposed to be okay with that! Everyone's going to think we're just horny, irresponsible teenagers." My voice drops a little as I say the last part, remembering that we haven't been using any sort of protection. Maybe I should go talk to my mom about that, although I'm sure she'll be disappointed in me.

"No one is going to think that, Katniss. For one, we've been through way too much to be considered anything less than adults. And if anyone thinks otherwise, they should take a walk in our shoes. We've had to endure more than most of the adults here have, so I'm pretty sure they'll forgive us for being in love. And as for the irresponsible part, we're covered for at least another few months or so." I look up at him confused and he explains. "Back in District 2, all of us kids had to focus everything on training. Training even came before schooling. So did relationships. And it got hard, having to spend almost all day every day with the same group of people. And so, before I was even old enough to train, a bunch of the older kids kept sneaking relationships behind our trainers' backs. That is, until a few of them got pregnant. Thee trainers never even thought of that as a possibility. So they made a rule: as soon as everyone turned 14, we were forced to take these pills. They're somewhat of a birth control, I guess. And they're supposed to last a year. I took mine a few months before the games."

"Oh." I say flatly. I honestly hadn't even been thinking about protection until now. Which is crazy, since I swore off having children long ago. I look down as I say this last part, as I'm a little ashamed of myself. "I hadn't even thought about _that_."

"I didn't either. But then after a couple of times, I remembered. I meant to tell you, but you always end up distracting me." He teases a smile out of me and I hug him closer, glad that he can make my guilt go away with such ease.

His stomach chooses that moment to grumble, and I realize we've slept through breakfast and probably lunch as well. I laugh at him and realize I'm actually quite hungry as well. I try to roll away from him to get out of bed but he holds me there.

"I love you Katniss Everdeen. You know that, right?" He nuzzles my hair and I turn my face to look up at him.

"Yes, I do. And I love you." I say back. I try to get out of his grasp again but he doesn't budge. "We have to eat sometime, you know." I say to him sternly.

He groans but doesn't release his hold on me. "I know. I just want to lie like this forever." And he plants a kiss on my forehead as he loosens his grip. We both get dressed quickly and lace our fingers together as we walk down to the cafeteria.

We're greeted by a smiling Greasy Sae, who is busy piling up the food on our plates. "Good evening, you two. I was beginning to wonder if the rumors about you being back were true."

I blush and look away as I grab my plate. Cato, on the other hand, gives Greasy Sae one of his heart melting smiles. "Oh, Sae! I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away from you for very long." I look up to see her rolling her eyes at him, her cheeks turning pink.

I grab onto Cato's elbow with my free hand and yank him away before he has Greasy Sae full on swooning over him. I spot Briar sitting alone at a table in the far corner of the room and head for her. When we sit down, she smiles up at us.

"I thought you guys were going to sleep all day." As she glances at the clock on the wall, she snorts a little. "I guess you almost did." She goes back to her food as we begin to dig into ours.

The food here hits the spot, and I am once again thankful to be out of District 13. I enjoy the food, savoring each little bite.

"Where's Ryker? And Prim?" Cato asks Briar, curiously.

"They're in the hospital visiting Mom. We've been taking shifts all day." Cato's face lights up at the mention of his mother.

"How is she doing?" He begins eating his food quicker, and I know he wants to hurry up so we can go see her. I pick up the pace of my eating as well.

"She's doing alright. She's been asleep mostly. But Mrs. Everdeen said that was normal." She shrugs, getting back to her food. I notice she's rushing through her meal as well.

We finish the rest of our food in silence, only minutes later. As we head for the infirmary, Cato picks up the pace. Briar has long legs, so she has no problem keeping up with him. But I'm almost running next to him.

We reach Marigold's room quickly and find Ryker and Prim sitting on a couch in the far corner of the room. Marigold is sleeping on the bed, and I smile. She looks so peaceful, like her pain is finally gone. Prim nods to us when we come in, and Cato and I take the seats next to the bed.

Cato grabs his mother's hand with his free hand and pulls it up to his mouth. He places a gentle kiss on it and she stirs.

"Cato." Her voice is a little grainy, but she smiles at him. "I'm glad you're back. How's your father?" Concern floods her face as she remembers her unwell husband.

"He's doing fine, Mom. Try not to worry about him right now. Just focus on healing, okay?" Cato looks at her sternly and I have to hold back a laugh. He seems to have taken over the parenting role for the moment. She squeezes his hand before dropping it to turn and look at her other children.

"Briar, Ryker. I told you two to go out and enjoy the day. You shouldn't be cooped up in this room with me." She's now speaking quite sternly to them and Cato grins at her.

"But Mom, we wanted to make sure you weren't lonely." Ryker whines at her as he walks over to her bed. She places her hand on his.

"Go outside. That's an order." She looks past him to stare at Briar and they both nod. "I have your brother to keep me company for a little while." She turns and smiles at Cato. "I want to hear all about District 13."

Cato sighs, and I stand up. I want to give them some time alone. Plus, I should really go visit Madge. Cato gives me a strange look and I just smile at him. "I'm going to go check on Madge. I'll find you later." He nods as he squeezes my hand, and then turns back to his mother. Marigold smiles up at me, as if thanking me for giving them a minute alone.

I make my way down the hallway and to Madge's room. I hear talking behind the door, and almost turn around to leave. But then it opens and I'm standing face to face with Gale.

"Hey. I was just coming to check on Madge. I'm sorry about yesterday." I give him a guilty smile and he grins back.

"It's okay, Catnip. I know you had to go find your boy toy." I glare at him playfully. He leans closer to me and whispers. "Madge is doing really well. They're thinking about letting her out soon." And with that, he walks away.

I slide into the room before the door shuts and see that Madge is not strapped down.

"Katniss! I was worried when you didn't come by to visit the last few days." My guilt rises to my face, but Madge stops me before I can apologize. "It's okay, Gale explained everything. That Coin is a witch!" She laughs and I can't help but laugh with her.

I sit on her bed and make myself comfortable. Madge and I have never been the type of friends who talked about boys, but then again, I was never really the type of girl who had anything to say about boys. Things have changed, I smile to myself.

"So, what's with you and Gale?" I waggle my eyebrows at her and she narrows her eyes at me.

"What do you mean?" She looks away as I make eye contact with her, and I know she's hiding something.

"I know Gale, probably better than I know myself. He's not really the kind of person who visits people he hardly knows." Madge looks back towards me and her cheeks are turning pink.

"I like him." She almost whispers and I can't help but smile at her.

"He's a good guy." I say, and she smiles. I decide to end that conversation because I know Gale would kill me if I pried too much more. But Madge wants to pry.

"So, Gale told me about you and Cato." Now it's her turn to waggle her eyebrows at me. I throw pillow at her and she giggles. "That bad, huh?"

"What exactly did Gale tell you?" I narrow my eyes and she looks away.

"Nothing, really. Just that you two were _really_ close." The way she emphasizes really makes my cheeks burn. She giggles as she sees my embarrassment.

"I love him." I say plainly and she grins, hugging me.

"Thank goodness! I was worried you were going to be an old cat lady! Can I meet him?" This makes me crack up.

"Cat lady? I _hate_ cats! And they really aren't big fans of me either. And yes, I'm sure he'd love to meet you." I laugh as I think about Buttercup and how he hisses at me every time I walk in the door.

"You and Buttercup haven't made nice yet?" She grins at me as I shoot her a dirty look.

"Not in a million years." We laugh for a while before things grow silent. Then I remember something that will make her laugh even harder. "Oh, yeah! Speaking of never in a million years, you'll never guess who's getting cozy together!" And I go on, gossiping about Haymitch and Effie and their strange relationship. Madge had known Effie quite well, as Effie had always stayed in the Mayor's house during her visits to our district. Madge had never been able to stand her, though, and I remember us making fun of her during reruns of the games at lunch.

As we laugh and joke and I fill her in on all the latest drama, I smile to myself. It's strange, speaking like this with her. Neither of us have ever been the girly types who gossip or talk about boys, but this just feels right. It feels like maybe I've finally gotten the chance to be a normal teenage girl. Except, of course, I'll never have that innocence again. Not after killing other children. Not after having Rue die in my arms or watching Peeta die in front of me.

But at least I can enjoy this. I can sit with my friend and just talk.

"Did you hear? They might let me out soon!" Madge exclaims when we finally run out of things to say.

"Gale mentioned it to me! That's great! It will be nice to get to take you outside. You'll love all the amazing sights around here." I become excited, thinking of all the places I can show her.

"I know! I'm so glad to finally get out of here. I think being down here actually made it worse for me. It's been hard." There are tears in her eyes and I pull her in for a hug.

"I know. But you're better now, and that's all that matters." I try to comfort her, but I know she's thinking about her parents, not being stuck down in this room.

She pulls away and smiles, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Exactly! And I can take a few of your survival classes! I've heard they are quite educational." She laughs at me and I give her a strange look. "Prim came in a few days ago and told me all about one of your co-teachers. I think his name was Finnick? She said she perfected knot tying after having him teach her for a few hours." I laugh, imagining my sister sitting in front of Finnick, pretending not to know how to tie knots. I know for a fact that she can. I shake my head, realizing my sister is quite clever. Too bad someone's going to have to mention to Prim that Finnick already has Annie.

"I can't say I blame her. He's beautiful." I laugh, and the door opens.

"Are you talking about me?" Cato peeks in from the half opened door and Madge giggles. She's about to open her mouth to burst his bubble, but I stop her.

"Of course!" I lie through my teeth as I try not to laugh. This makes Madge laugh even harder. He gives me a suspicious look before turning to Madge.

"I'm Cato, but I guess you've already figured that out." He holds out his hand and she grabs it, still giggling too hard to speak. I turn and glare at her and she quiets.

"Of course. I'm Madge." She manages to spit out.

"So what were you two giggling about? Because I know it can't be about my great looks." He grins cockily as he lowers himself into a chair.

"We were just talking about the class Katniss teaches. As soon as I get out, I'm joining one of them." She grins.

"Really? You don't look like you need any survival tips. I bet you could teach a class yourself!" She blushes and I roll my eyes. But I do understand the effect he has on the opposite sex. It's hard not to blush every time he speaks to you, even though sometimes his compliments make no sense.

"I wouldn't survive a day out there alone. Katniss tried to show me how to make a trap once when a rabbit was eating all the lettuce out of my garden, but my snare was so awful, I couldn't even catch my gardener with it. The snare Katniss set up caught both the rabbit _and_ my gardener." We all laugh and I remember trying to show her. I also remember having to help her get her gardener, Mr. Costwell, out of my snare. I should have had Gale teach her how to make the snares. He's the one who taught me, after all. Snares are not my strong point.

After a while of joking around, Madge begins to yawn. I look up at the clock and realize it's gotten pretty late. "We better head out. I'm sure you're ready to go to bed. I'll come back tomorrow?" She nods and her eyelids droop a little. I give her a hug before getting up, and Cato waves to her as we walk out.

"I can see how you two are friends." He says as he grabs my hand.

"Oh really? What's that supposed to mean?" I look up at him.

He just grins and shakes his head. "Nothing really. I can just see why you get along so well. She's a lot like you, you know?" I nod thoughtfully, never actually thinking Madge and I had much in common. I mean, neither of us had many friends, but that's about where our similarities ended. Or at least I thought they did. She had lived a pretty privileged life, never having to skip meals. But she was never snobby. She never took her father's status for granted either. I think that's why I liked her so much.

I hear heavy, quick footsteps ahead of us and I look up to see Gale running towards us. There's fear in his face and he stops abruptly as he reaches us. He's out of breath, clutching his side.

"Gale, what's wrong?" I can see it in his eyes.

He's still trying to catch his breath, but he answers. "We. Need. To. Evacuate." He says between heavy inhales. I'm about to ask him why, but he's already running for Madge. Cato and I turn and look at each other before Cato shrugs and turns to follow Gale.

Before we reach her room, Gale has already gotten Madge up and out of bed. They meet us in the hallway and Gale has caught his breath back. We can't walk too fast because Madge hasn't gotten much use of her legs in the past few weeks. But Gale still keeps a steady pace.

"The Capitol—Well, District 13 is planning an attack tonight." I shoot him a confused look and he rolls his eyes. "Here. They're attacking us. Tonight." He says it slowly, apparently impatient with my lack of connection.

"Why?" Cato asks next, his grip tightening around my hand.

"Coin. She doesn't want there to be another rebel group." Cato nods, as if accepting this as a perfectly good explanation. His face grows pale as he remembers something. "I have to get my family."

"I already got them. They're in a safe place. We can't go there now, or we could lead our attackers to them." We're now making our way up the spiral hallway, and I notice it's empty. I wonder where everyone is.

But I don't ask. Instead, I just follow, my fingers laced with Cato's turning white as I grip him tighter. We're almost to the entrance of the bunker when the ground begins to shake.

"Shit!" Gale yells, scooping up Madge so that we can run. Cato and I understand, and follow quickly behind him. We run through the cavern, our footsteps echoing. We stop abruptly at the waterfall and Gale sets Madge down. He turns and holds a finger to his lips before disappearing.

My heart is pounding in my chest and I want to follow him, to make sure he's okay. But Cato won't loosen the grip on my hand, so I'm stuck against his side.

Gale comes back and I sigh in relief. He motions for us to follow and we do. We step out into the darkness and my eyes are forced to focus. I turn back and see fire in the woods behind us. That must be where they dropped the first bomb. I realize that they don't actually know where the bunker is.

I stumble over a rock and decide that I need to watch where I'm going. Gale and Madge are ahead of me, and I can see him picking up his speed. He begins running into the woods and Madge trips. Cato lets go of my hand and scoops her up. Gale turns back but Cato motions for him to keep going. I follow behind Cato and as we run, the ground shakes again.

I almost lose my balance, but I catch myself before I fall. I have no idea where we are running, but Gale must. The ground rumbles three more times before we stop. We're in a thick grove of trees, and Gale leans against a tree to rest. Cato puts Mage down, and she looks sheepishly at him as she thanks him. He turns to me and wraps his arms around me. I can't tell where his sweat ends and mine begins, but we lean on each other until we catch our breath.

No one speaks. Madge is stifling a sob, and Gale turns to embrace her. She lets loose, and Gale has to pull her away and try to calm her. I shudder, wondering if this is reminding her of District 12 being bombed and losing her parents.

Cato feels me shudder and pulls me closer. We've all stopped breathing heavily and now I'm antsy.

"Where are we going, Gale?" I whisper, turning towards him. He looks around a few times before motioning for us to follow him again. We do, and the ground begins to rise. We come up to a small opening in the hill and Gale disappears into the darkness, dragging Madge along with him.

I turn to Cato and press my lips against his before allowing myself to be swallowed by the darkness, not letting go of his hand.

END OF PART 1


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